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Clinical Judgment and the Practice of Medicine: A Must-Read for Healthcare Professionals

Eliot Foster

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Published in How Doctors Think: Clinical Judgment And The Practice Of Medicine

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Clinical judgment is a complex skill that is essential for healthcare professionals. It is the ability to make decisions about the care of patients, based on a variety of factors, including the patient's medical history, physical examination, and laboratory test results. Clinical judgment is also influenced by the healthcare professional's own knowledge, experience, and values.

How Doctors Think: Clinical Judgment and the Practice of Medicine

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Good clinical judgment is essential for providing safe and effective patient care. However, clinical judgment can be difficult to develop and refine. This is because there is no single right answer to many clinical questions, and the best course of action often depends on the individual patient and situation.

The book Clinical Judgment and the Practice of Medicine is an essential resource for healthcare professionals looking to improve their clinical decision-making skills. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the principles and techniques of clinical judgment, and includes case studies and exercises to help readers apply these principles to their own practice.

What is Clinical Judgment?

Clinical judgment is the ability to make decisions about the care of patients, based on a variety of factors, including the patient's medical history, physical examination, and laboratory test results. Clinical judgment is also influenced by the healthcare professional's own knowledge, experience, and values.

The Importance of Clinical Judgment

Clinical judgment is essential for healthcare professionals because it allows them to make decisions about the care of their patients that are based on the best available evidence and their own clinical experience.

Good clinical judgment can lead to better patient outcomes, reduced costs, and improved patient satisfaction. For example, a study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine found that patients who were treated by physicians with good clinical judgment had lower mortality rates and shorter hospital stays.

How to Develop Good Clinical Judgment

There are a number of things that healthcare professionals can do to develop good clinical judgment. These include:

Gaining knowledge and experience. The more knowledge and experience healthcare professionals have, the better equipped they will be to make good clinical decisions.
Reflecting on their practice. Healthcare professionals should regularly reflect on their clinical decisions and outcomes to identify areas where they can improve their judgment.
Seeking feedback from peers. Healthcare professionals can learn from their peers by sharing their experiences and discussing clinical cases.
Using decision-making tools. There are a number of decision-making tools available that can help healthcare professionals make better clinical decisions.

The Role of Intuition in Clinical Judgment

Intuition is often thought of as a gut feeling or hunch. However, intuition is actually a complex cognitive process that involves the use of past experiences, knowledge, and values to make decisions.

Intuition can play a role in clinical judgment, but it is important to note that intuition alone is not a reliable way to make clinical decisions. Healthcare professionals should always use evidence-based medicine and their own clinical experience to make decisions about the care of their patients.

Clinical judgment is a complex skill that is essential for healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals can develop good clinical judgment by gaining knowledge and experience, reflecting on their practice, seeking feedback from peers, and using decision-making tools.