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Clinical problem solving: the beginning of the process
Author(s) -
GALE JANET,
MARSDEN P.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
medical education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1365-2923
pISSN - 0308-0110
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2923.1982.tb01214.x
Subject(s) - problem solver , process (computing) , psychology , diagnostic test , cognitive psychology , epistemology , medicine , computer science , pediatrics , philosophy , computational science , operating system
Summary The diagnostic thinking process is often described as one of hypothesis generation and testing. Yet descriptions of the clinical problem solver's thinking prior to generation of the first diagnostic hypothesis are lacking. This paper reports a study of this phase in students, house officers and registrars. Theories of pattern recognition are seriously questioned. It is shown that these subjects make immediate active interpretative or evaluative responses to initial items of clinical information elicited. These responses cannot be described as ‘diagnostic hypotheses’, but are important working interpretations. Implications for teaching are discussed.