Doctor, Know Thyself: Decisions and Cognitive Bias

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Decision making is at the core of clinical practice. Yet, an untold proportion of humanity goes through life unaware of the mental shortcuts and systematic deviations from truth that affect the decision-making process, a reality to which clinicians are not immune. This interactive presentation will introduce the audience to fundamental concepts in the science of decision making, borrowing from the disciplines of psychology and behavioral economics. Well-established concepts from seminal publications will be summarized as a foundation for understanding. A distinction will be drawn between random biases and cognitive biases, the latter of which can be mitigated by deliberate self-awareness. Otolaryngology-specific clinical scenarios will be used to illustrate an array of important cognitive biases, as well as powerful heuristics including anchoring, availability, and representativeness. The presentation will explore the interplay between weights and biases, and consider the merits of an algorithmic approach to decision making. Finally, consideration will be given to a potential role for artificial intelligence to remedy our human tendency for bias.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 1: Recognize the purpose of heuristics in decision-making.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 2: Identify some common types of cognitive biases that affect medical decisions in clinical practice.

OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 3: Appreciate the applications of artificial intelligence to decision-making processes.

BACKGROUND STATEMENT: There is a need for the clinician to understand the common ways in which their clinical judgement may be distorted by systematic biases. Recognition of these distortions of reality can enable the clinician to guard against and mitigate the detrimental effects.

Comprehensive Otolaryngology Track Statement : The science of decision-making is intrinsic to all areas of medical practice and applies to the comprehensive breadth of conditions encountered by otolaryngologists.