How Physicians Manage Medical Uncertainty: A Qualitative Study and Conceptual Taxonomy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Medical uncertainty is a pervasive and important problem, but the strategies physicians use to manage it have not been systematically described.

Objectives

To explore the uncertainty management strategies employed by physicians practicing in acute-care hospital settings and to organize these strategies within a conceptual taxonomy that can guide further efforts to understand and improve physicians' tolerance of medical uncertainty.

Design

Qualitative study using individual in-depth interviews.

Participants

Convenience sample of 22 physicians and trainees (11 attending physicians, 7 residents [postgraduate years 1-3), 4 fourth-year medical students), working within 3 medical specialties (emergency medicine, internal medicine, internal medicine-pediatr

SUBMITTER: Han PKJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7985858 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature