Institute:Office of National Coordinator (ONC) Workforce Training Curriculum
Component:The Culture of Health Care
Unit:Health Care Processes and Decision Making
Lecture:Gathering data and analyzing findings
Making a diagnosis
The impact of EHRs and technology on clinical decision-making
Slide content:Heuristics: Rules of Thumb Err on the side of life When you hear hoof beats, look for horses, not zebras (unless you are at the zoo) You are more likely to see an uncommon case of a common disease than an uncommon disease Weaknesses Cognitive errors Heuristics and biases Strength: Fast and frugal heuristics 9
Slide notes:As mentioned earlier, another approach that clinicians use for more efficient diagnostic reasoning is to employ heuristics , or rules of thumb. This slide considers three examples of heuristics. The first is, Err on the side of life, which suggests emphasizing those conditions that are most life threatening or most conducive to treatment. The second expression is, When you hear hoof beats, look for horses, not zebras, which advocates thinking about the common diseases first because they are much more likely to occur. The third heuristic is, You are more likely to see an uncommon case of a common disease than an uncommon disease, which means that even if it seems like a rare condition, in terms of probability, its more likely to be a common one. There are drawbacks to using heuristics because they can lead to cognitive errors and biases; however, they provide a fast and frugal reference point, facilitating an appropriate working diagnosis with a minimum of resources, including time and attention. 9