Cognitive Bias in Decision Making

Learning Objectives
- Identifying cognitive bias
- Bias in decision-making
- Avoiding over-testing
Course Description
At its most useful, the differential test for spotting cognitive bias is not a process of elimination, but a process of inclusion. Identify biases by knowing their feathers and stripes. This course is not a vocabulary test. It’s a field guide for spotting and naming cognitive bias in the medical context. This course examines a host of different biases and the affects they have on medical diagnoses and decision-making.
Did you know…
- Cognitive bias may contribute to health care disparities by shaping physician behavior and producing differences in medical treatment along the lines of race, ethnicity, gender or other
characteristics - Courses that teach intercultural communication are now a part of the medical school educational standards set for all accredited medical schools in the United States and Canada
- Diagnostic errors are associated with 6—7% of adverse events, and 28% of diagnostic errors have been attributed to cognitive error
Course at a Glance
Target Audience: Physicians
Time to Complete: 30 Minutes
Contributor: Children’s Hospital Colorado
Author Information
Dr. Joseph Grubenhoff, MD is a pediatric emergency medicine doctor in Aurora, Colorado and is affiliated with Children’s Hospital Colorado. He received his medical degree from Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
Facility Co-developer
Children’s Hospital Colorado