MEM Cast Episode 144: An Introduction to Clinical Reasoning
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Dec 16, 2022 
Nicola Cooper, an acute medical consultant and associate professor in medical education, discusses the critical aspects of clinical reasoning in healthcare. She shares insights on the difference between clinical reasoning and critical thinking, while emphasizing its importance in accurate diagnoses. With 10 to 15 percent of cases suffering from diagnostic errors, she highlights the cognitive pitfalls that lead to mistakes. Cooper also advocates for systematic teaching of clinical reasoning in medical training to enhance patient safety and reduce these errors.
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Understanding Clinical Reasoning
- Clinical reasoning is the comprehensive process of thinking and decision-making used by clinicians.
- It involves gathering, interpreting data, and managing patients with both conscious and unconscious cognitive operations.
Prevalence and Impact of Diagnostic Errors
- Diagnostic errors occur in around 10 to 15 percent of medical diagnoses internationally.
- These errors are the leading cause of medical malpractice claims and significant patient harm.
Cognitive Errors Drive Diagnostic Mistakes
- Cognitive errors in thinking are the primary cause of diagnostic errors.
- These errors happen even when doctors have all the data but fail in synthesis and judgment.