Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of an outcome bias in medical decision making, which can be represented by a tendency to overweight outcome information when evaluating the quality of a decision. This study investigates whether the outcome of a previous decision on a medical case affects a later decision on a similar case. Methods: Thirty-six practising doctors and 36 nurses were presented with two superficially different but structurally identical dichotomous diagnostic problems, at intervals of about 6 weeks. The first problem was followed by the delivery of information about the outcome that could be either positive or negative. Results: Of the doctors, 39% of those who received information indicating an adverse outcome in the first case modified their diagnosis in the second case, whereas none of the doctors who were given information indicating a positive outcome made an alternative diagnosis. Of the nurses, 22% of those given information of a positive outcome and 56% of those given information of a negative outcome in the first case made an alternative decision in the second case. Conclusions: The results show that the outcome of a previous single case can be overweighted in the process of making a later decision about a similar case, to the point that information on outcome alone can modify a decision that the health provider originally thought to be optimal, according to his or her experience and the available evidence. Hence, outcome bias not only affects the evaluation of a decision, but can also affect learning by modifying later decisions. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010.

Mazzocco, K., Cherubini, P. (2010). The effect of outcome information on health professionals’ spontaneous learning. MEDICAL EDUCATION, 44(10), 962-968 [10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03744.x].

The effect of outcome information on health professionals’ spontaneous learning

CHERUBINI, PAOLO
2010

Abstract

Objectives: Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of an outcome bias in medical decision making, which can be represented by a tendency to overweight outcome information when evaluating the quality of a decision. This study investigates whether the outcome of a previous decision on a medical case affects a later decision on a similar case. Methods: Thirty-six practising doctors and 36 nurses were presented with two superficially different but structurally identical dichotomous diagnostic problems, at intervals of about 6 weeks. The first problem was followed by the delivery of information about the outcome that could be either positive or negative. Results: Of the doctors, 39% of those who received information indicating an adverse outcome in the first case modified their diagnosis in the second case, whereas none of the doctors who were given information indicating a positive outcome made an alternative diagnosis. Of the nurses, 22% of those given information of a positive outcome and 56% of those given information of a negative outcome in the first case made an alternative decision in the second case. Conclusions: The results show that the outcome of a previous single case can be overweighted in the process of making a later decision about a similar case, to the point that information on outcome alone can modify a decision that the health provider originally thought to be optimal, according to his or her experience and the available evidence. Hence, outcome bias not only affects the evaluation of a decision, but can also affect learning by modifying later decisions. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Outcome bias, learning, decision making, medical diagnoses;
English
2010
44
10
962
968
none
Mazzocco, K., Cherubini, P. (2010). The effect of outcome information on health professionals’ spontaneous learning. MEDICAL EDUCATION, 44(10), 962-968 [10.1111/j.1365-2923.2010.03744.x].
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/22024
Citazioni
  • Scopus 20
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 18
Social impact