How Do Doctors Think

Question 1

Clinical algorithms

Answer 1

Useful to distinguish different diagnosis that have similar symptoms

• quickly fall apart however when doctors have to think outside of the box due to unique results
• is more of a “guideline”

Question 2

Statistics in caring for patients

Answer 2

Only compliment that physicians decision

- they cannot be used to make a diagnosis since they are averages.

Question 3

William osler

Answer 3

Created the 1st residency program for speciality training of physicians

considered the father of modern medicine and one of the greatest diagnosticians

Question 4

When to use close ended questions

Answer 4

Only if you know where you are going for sure

Question 5

Clinical intuition

Answer 5

A complex sense that is refined over years by examining thousands of patients and remembering when you are wrong
- incorporates mistakes and MIs judgements into their thinking

Question 6

Misguided care

Answer 6

Majority of errors made by physicians are flaws in the thinking of the physician, not technical mistakes
- usually emotionally based

Question 7

Pattern recognition

Answer 7

Immediacy of perception within a doctor that takes key clues that coalesce into a standard pattern which allows the doctor to narrow it down to a specific diagnosis
(I.e = chest pain that radiates to arm and jaw w/ dyspnea = heart attack)

Question 8

Heuristics

Answer 8

Core of flesh and blood decision

• when doctors quickly come up w/ 2-3 possible diagnoses w/ little information
• generates when in fast or quick paced environments

Question 9

Representativeness errors

Answer 9

When thinking is guided by a prototype

• physicians fail to consider and understand all possibilitiesthat contradict the prototype since it “cant be possible”
• this leads to wrong treatments often

Question 10

Attribution errors

Answer 10

Negative stereotypes lead to treatment errors

- you need to recognize them and make a conscious effort to not allow it to influence the treatment decision