Using theory to interpret how senior clinicians define, learn, and teach clinical reasoning

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Dual process theory and script theory are established frameworks for understanding clinical reasoning acquisition.
• Clinical reasoning is a critical skill for healthcare professionals, yet its teaching and learning processes require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To interpret how experienced clinicians define, learned, and teach clinical reasoning.
• To apply dual process and script theories to understand the learning and teaching of clinical reasoning.

Main Methods:

• Thematic analysis of interview data from 14 senior clinicians.
• Interpretation using dual process theory, script theory, deliberate practice, and script consciousness.

Main Results:

• Clinicians' definitions of clinical reasoning align with existing literature.
• Most clinicians were not explicitly taught clinical reasoning but learned it through practice and role-modeling.
• Teaching clinical reasoning was seen as a method for self-improvement.

Conclusions:

• Dual process theory, script theory, mindful practice, and deliberate practice offer valuable insights into clinical reasoning education.
• Findings inform the development of clinical reasoning curricula and faculty development programs.