Case-based clinical reasoning in feline medicine: 3: Use of heuristics and illness scripts

Martin L Whitehead; Paul J Canfield; Robert Johnson; Carolyn R O'Brien; Richard Malik

doi:10.1177/1098612X16643251

Case-based clinical reasoning in feline medicine: 3: Use of heuristics and illness scripts

J Feline Med Surg. 2016 May;18(5):418-26. doi: 10.1177/1098612X16643251.

Authors

Martin L Whitehead¹, Paul J Canfield², Robert Johnson³, Carolyn R O'Brien⁴, Richard Malik⁵

Affiliations

¹ Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton, Oxon, OX7 5SY, UK.
² Faculty of Veterinary Science, B14, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia paul.canfield@sydney.edu.au.
³ South Penrith Veterinary Clinic, 126 Stafford Street, Penrith, NSW 2750, Australia.
⁴ Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3152, Australia.
⁵ Centre for Veterinary Education, B22, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

PMID: 27143043
DOI: 10.1177/1098612X16643251

Abstract

Aim: This is Article 3 of a three-part series on clinical reasoning that encourages practitioners to explore and understand how they think and make case-based decisions. It is hoped that, in the process, they will learn to trust their intuition but, at the same time, put in place safeguards to diminish the impact of bias and misguided logic on their diagnostic decision-making.

Series outline: Article 1, published in the January 2016 issue of JFMS, discussed the relative merits and shortcomings of System 1 thinking (immediate and unconscious) and System 2 thinking (effortful and analytical). In Article 2, published in the March 2016 issue, ways of managing cognitive error, particularly the negative impact of bias, in making a diagnosis were examined. This final article explores the use of heuristics (mental short cuts) and illness scripts in diagnostic reasoning.

MeSH terms

Animals
Cat Diseases / diagnosis*
Cat Diseases / therapy
Cats
Clinical Decision-Making*
Evidence-Based Practice
Heuristics*
Veterinary Medicine