Abstract
It has been postulated that everyone has an affinity for one of two cognitive approaches: experiential (intuitive) or rational (conscious). The aim of this study was to analyze the thinking processes of Saudi emergency physicians at nine hospitals in Riyadh. This was a cross-sectional study, which was undertaken in Riyadh using a psychometric tool called the Rational–Experiential Inventory-40. The survey, sent by e-mail to 202 emergency physicians, had a 53% response rate. Most respondents were male (86%). The total surveyed participants included consultants (36%), associate consultants (19%), registrars, fellow or staff physicians (7%), and residents (38%). The results found a mean (standard deviation) score of 3.73 (0.51) for rational approaches to decision-making and 3.09 (0.45) for experiential approaches among the emergency physicians surveyed. The difference of 0.46 between the two scores was not statistically significant (p = 0.23). Female emergency physicians tended toward slower logical thinking (rational). Consultant emergency physicians had a higher score for fast intuitive automatic thinking (experiential) than nonconsultant physicians. This was statistically significant, t105 = 2.1, p = 0.4. Our results suggest that although both thinking styles are used in clinical decision-making, consultant emergency physicians prefer rational approaches to decision-making.
Highlights
Decision-making is an important yet complex task to be performed in any healthcare field
Defects in any of these could lead to the medical errors seen in many areas of medicine, including the emergency department [2]
Most participants were male (86% or 92 physicians). This was slightly higher than the overall ratio between male and female physicians working in Saudi Arabia
Summary
Decision-making is an important yet complex task to be performed in any healthcare field. It relies on several mental processes, including perception, memory, and problem-solving skills [1]. Understanding how decision-making happens, and what flaws could occur during the process, might help reduce medical errors. Decision-making is a cognitive process, and cognition is complex and hierarchical [3] It starts with simple skill-based tasks that do not require much cognitive input compared with coordination skills [4]. At the top of the hierarchy is knowledge-based cognition, which involves clinical and diagnostic reasoning and requires a great deal of attentiveness to reach an appropriate end point in a given situation [4]
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