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Thinking about Thinking: Teaching Cognitive Biases and Clinical Reasoning Pitfalls
Jan 2017 Workshop:
Précis: Have you ever wondered how to teach students how to think? We will explore clinical reasoning
and discuss how to teach our learners these critical skills. We will discuss common cognitive biases and
how patient safety can be improved by helping our learners and ourselves think, and practice, more
thoughtfully.
Workshop Text: Objective/Background: The diagnostic process is a complex activity that relies on critical
thinking skills often not explicitly taught in medical school. With a recent report by the Institute of
Medicine on diagnostic error in health care, teaching learners to examine decision-making processes
and potential pitfalls is a quality imperative.The Pathways curriculum at HMS has incorporated teaching
clinical reasoning skills in the context of the cognitive science about how we think. We will present
strategies for teaching critical thinking and address the challenge of developing an educational culture
that fosters clinical reasoning skills in our learners. Workshop Agenda: This session will present
background material on clinical reasoning and potential pitfalls, highlighting implications for patient
safety. Interactive group exercises will allow participants to recognize cognitive biases commonly
exhibited by students. Participants will work in small groups to develop strategies for teaching and
assessing students clinical reasoning skills. We will share best practices from participants and workshop
leaders experiences. Interactive Component: Participants will engage in activities that encourage
metacognition and identifying cognitive biases. In small groups, we will explore real clinical cases in
which cognitive bias was a contributing factor in patient morbidity and mortality. Participants will
develop approaches to teaching these concepts to students with the aim of avoiding diagnostic error.
Take Home Product: Teaching Critical Thinking: A case-based workbook for teaching cognitive biases and
clinical reasoning skills
Topics:
Faculty Development Seminar, 2017, Resident, Faculty, Clerkship Director, Osteopathic Faculty, Residency Director, Patient Care, Medical Knowledge, Systems-Based Practice & Improvement, GME, UME, Quality & Safety, Problem-Based Learning,
