Breaking down automaticity: case ambiguity and the shift to reflective approaches in clinical reasoning

Context  Two modes of case processing have been shown to underlie diagnostic judgements: analytical and non‐analytical reasoning. An optimal form of clinical reasoning is suggested to combine both modes. Conditions leading doctors to shift from the usual mode of non‐analytical reasoning to reflective reasoning have not been identified. This paper reports a study aimed at exploring these conditions by investigating the effects of ambiguity of clinical cases on clinical reasoning.

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