Conservatism in clinical decision-making: a concept analysis
Related Experiment Videos
Ali Asghar Ghods1,2, Mohsen Soleimani1,2, Ali Safdari3
1Nursing Care Research Center, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, Iran.
Background:
Conservatism is a multidimensional construct applied across disciplines; however, its meaning and role in clinical decision‑making remain insufficiently delineated, particularly in relation to defensive medicine. Such conceptual ambiguity may contribute to inappropriate clinical judgments and unnecessary interventions, including in nursing practice.
Objective:
To analyse and clarify the concept of conservatism in clinical decision‑making using Walker and Avant's method of concept analysis.
Methods:
A structured search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL was conducted without time restrictions to identify literature addressing conservatism in clinical decision‑making. Of 2401 records screened, 19 sources met the eligibility criteria and contributed conceptual data to the analysis. Data were extracted and synthesized to identify defining attributes, antecedents, related concepts, and consequences.
Results:
Conservatism in clinical decision-making comprised four core attributes: watchful waiting and monitoring, risk-benefit balance, shared decision-making, and reliance on scientific evidence and clinical experience. Identified antecedents included the presence of a decision-making situation and adherence to professional values and norms, with consequences observed at both patient and healthcare system levels.
Conclusions:
Conservatism in clinical decision-making is an evidence-informed approach used under uncertainty when multiple clinically reasonable options are available. It involves structured monitoring, explicit assessment of benefits and harms, shared decision-making, and integration of evidence with clinical judgment. Conceptual clarification may help distinguish this approach from passive delay and defensive practice and inform future research and professional education.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
01:13Patient-centered Care
01:25Critical Thinking II
01:24Critical Thinking I
01:30Ethical Dilemmas II
01:14Decision Making: Traditional Method
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...