Clinical expertise and research findings--understanding the fit

Clinical expertise is as valuable as the information that supports decisions. The worth of that information must be evaluated carefully and constantly questioned. Clinicians must work together to carefully and systematically analyze what they bring to the decision-making process. Rules that serve as the foundation of one's decision need to be evaluated continuously. As well, every clinician must be aware of inherent and subtle biases that influence decisions. Relying on clinical expertise can be a helpful strategy, but clinicians must proceed with caution. As with research, nothing is correct 100% of the time--even experts make mistakes. Use your expertise to determine what strategy is correct when facing a clinical problem. If your clinical expertise will serve the patient best, do not be afraid to use this hard-earned knowledge for the optimum patient outcome.