4 Purpose, Scope, and Limits
This chapter orients you to what the framework is for and where it stops. Most useful when setting scope with yourself or others.
Purpose. Provide a DSM-compatible clinical reasoning companion for assessment, formulation, and documentation. Use patient-near phenomenology and dimensional ratings to reduce diagnostic noise.
4.1 Scope
- In: core workflow, universal intake, risk modifiers, Atlas entries, domain summary, prototype exemplars, rule-out summary, documentation template overview, glossary, failure modes, and label deferral.
- Out: treatment guidelines, full prototype catalogs, measurement prompts, billing policy, or definitive etiologic models.
Intended Audience. Clinicians in psychiatry, psychology, primary care, and integrated care; Trainees and supervisors who need a consistent documentation and teaching frame; Systems focused on quality, measurement-based care, and continuity.
Compatibility and Outputs. Compatible with DSM and ICD codes; codes are outputs, not the entry point. Outputs: domain ratings, prototype tags when useful, formulation summary, and risk/trajectory notes.
- Not a replacement for DSM or ICD.
- Not a substitute for clinical judgment, local policy, or legal requirements.
- Not a treatment manual or prescribing guide.
- Not a definitive model of cause or mechanism.
4.2 Safety and Ethics Commitments
- Record uncertainty and competing explanations when present.
- Prefer least-harmful labeling and avoid stigmatizing language.
- Center context, development, and culture in formulation.