clinical reasoning

Question 1

clinical reasoning disposition

Answer 1

-confidence
creativity
flexibility
reflective
open minded
intuition

Question 2

critical thinking

Answer 2

curious about the reasons behind ideas and actions

thought and knowledge orientated

make decisions based on facts

can think independently but is aware of limitations

Question 3

non-critical thinking

Answer 3

unconcerned by facts, reasons behind actions and motives

task orientated

make decisions based on feelings

relies on others

Question 4

what would an experienced clinician do?

Answer 4

they would immediately observe any significant data, draw conclusions and initiate appropriate care.

Question 5

Assumptions

Answer 5

Assumptions and beliefs can be a barrier to clinical reasoning.

Assumptions can lead to incorrect reasoning and care e.g. the assumption that all elderly people have dementia

Question 6

core elements in the clinical reasoning process

Answer 6

use of knowledge, cognition and metacognition

Question 7

cognition

Answer 7

to analyse, synthesise, and evaluate clinical data

applying theory to practice and forming a hypotheses

Question 8

metacognition

Answer 8

awareness and monitoring of cognition

reflecting on accuracy, reliability and validity of thinking

testing hypotheses

Question 9

8 stages of reasoning

Answer 9

observe 
collect
process
decide
plan 
act
evaluate 
reflect

Question 10

observe stage

Answer 10

carefully observing the patient and their symptoms, and listing facts

Question 11

collect stage

Answer 11

collecting detailed information, including both past and present facts related to the patient’s health and current medical problem

Question 12

process stage

Answer 12

process the collected information to determine the best possible plan

Question 13

decide stage

Answer 13

deciding the most appropriate treatment option for diagnosis, treatment based on the in-depth analysis of patient’s history and current situation

Question 14

plan stage

Answer 14

creating a detailed treatment plan, which may require consulting with associate medical professionals/experts

Question 15

Act stage

Answer 15

Delivering the determined treatment plan efficiently and accurately

Question 16

evaluate stage

Answer 16

Evaluating the treatment plan’s outcomes to gauge its effectiveness

Question 17

reflect stage

Answer 17

reflect on the outcomes and determining whether the treatment plan should be altered or recorded for future reference

Question 18

what is clinical thinking?

Answer 18

the ability to:
focus on what to believe 
reflect on information
be intuitive 
be logical and analytical
solve problems 
make a decision/judgement

Question 19

why is clinical thinking important?

Answer 19

it enables holistic approach to care

it links theory to practice using experience and knowledge

patients’ are at the heart of the decisions made

responsibility to uphold highest standards of care

Question 20

types of clinical reasoning

Answer 20

procedural, interactive, conditional

Question 21

procedural reasoning

Answer 21

known as the ‘how to’ of carrying out a procedure
we identify a problem and try and fix it

it includes consideration of pain mechanisms, patient presentation and contributory factors.

it also includes hypothetico-deductive reasoning and pattern recognition

Question 22

interactive reasoning

Answer 22

this focuses on the patient as a person rather than a condition

allows us to engage with and understand the patient, and gauge success of any intervention from the patient’s perspective

Question 23

conditional (predictive) reasoning

Answer 23

envisioning future scenarios for the patient and exploring their choices

allows the patient and clinician to understand the future

considers the patient’s illness, experience, perspectives, beliefs and cultures

Question 24

what is clinical reasoning

Answer 24

a specialized cognitive process

learn, reason, think creativity

reflective thinking

problem solving and decision making

it is a critical skill for professional autonomy, competence and accountability