Communication

Front

What is the context of a medical consultation?

Back

The consultation is the interaction between a patient and a health professional where key decisions about diagnosis and management are made.

Front

How has the relationship between doctors and patients changed in recent years?

Back

The relationship has become more equal, with doctors seen as having their own beliefs and biases, and patients recognized for their pertinent information.

Front

What are some common vague symptoms patients present with?

Back

Headaches, back pain, tiredness, and bowel changes.

Front

What is the role of health professionals in clinical decision-making?

Back

To decide what symptoms mean and differentiate between various potential diagnoses.

Front

What are the stages of clinical decision-making?

Back

1. Accessing information about the patient’s symptoms. 2. Developing hypotheses. 3. Searching for attributes to confirm or refute hypotheses. 4. Making a management decision.

Front

What is confirmation bias in clinical decision-making?

Back

It is the tendency for doctors to focus on information that confirms their initial hypothesis, potentially ignoring contradictory information.

Front

Why might different health professionals reach different management decisions?

Back

Variability can arise from accessing different information, developing different hypotheses, and having differing biases.

Front

What influences a health professional's original hypothesis?

Back

1. Their beliefs about clinical problems. 2. Their estimate of the probability of the hypothesis and disease. 3. Their beliefs about the seriousness and treatability of diseases. 4. Personal knowledge of the patient. 5. Stereotypes.

Front

How do health professionals' beliefs about health and illness affect their decision-making?

Back

Beliefs can shape the hypotheses they develop and influence how they interpret symptoms and make management decisions.

Front

What role do stereotypes play in clinical consultations?

Back

Stereotypes help health professionals quickly develop and test hypotheses, reflecting cognitive economy in time-limited consultations.