The Visualization of Uncertainty in Clinical Diagnostic Reasoning for Pulmonary Embolism
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
Medical reasoning is a form of inquiry that examines the thought processes involved in making medical decisions. When physicians are faced with patients' symptoms or signs, their thought processes follow either direct shortcuts to suspect a diagnosis or go into a deeper and more analytic process to reach a diagnosis. The second pathway is less prone to biases and errors. This study explores whether the use of an interactive visual display of probabilities of pulmonary embolism generated from positive or negative test results will increase the adherence to evidence based guidelines in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.
| Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
|---|---|---|
|
N/A |
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
| Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
|---|---|
| Experimental: Visualized pulmonary embolism computer task model This group of participants was presented and trained to use a visual representation of diagnostic pathway for pulmonary embolism. The design of this visual representation is based on Bayes theorem and cognition enhancing visual design principles. |
Other: Visualized pulmonary embolism computer task model
This group of participants was presented and trained to use a visual representation of diagnostic pathway for pulmonary embolism. The design of this visual representation is based on Bayes theorem and cognition enhancing visual design principles.
|
| Active Comparator: Didactic review pulmonary embolism lecture This group of participants was presented with a didactic lecture covering the diagnostic approach of pulmonary embolism. |
Other: Didactic review lecture
This group of participants was presented with a didactic lecture covering the diagnostic approach of pulmonary embolism.
|
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Concordance with medical diagnostic reasoning pathway for pulmonary embolism. [Paper-based clinical case scenarios were completed within 2 hour after either intervention.]
Concordance with medical diagnostic reasoning pathway for a case presentation suggestive of pulmonary embolism will be reflected by whether participants are stopping prematurely or proceeding with diagnostic steps inappropriately.
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Time. [Paper-based clinical case scenarios were completed within 2 hour after either intervention.]
The overall time taken to solve each clinical scenario may give insight to which decision making process was predominant to solve each clinical scenario.
Other Outcome Measures
- Survey. [Survey was completed within 2 hours after completion of either intervention.]
The participants' responses to the satisfaction survey will provide feedback about the need for improvement or modification in interface of software
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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Medical students, University of Calgary, in clerkship who finished at least 4 weeks of a block of medicine rotation at any hospital site.
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First year subspecialty or Internal Medicine residents.
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Practicing physicians in the subspecialties of Internal Medicine or Emergency Medicine.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Physicians in the subspecialty of Haematology or Respiratory
Contacts and Locations
Locations
| Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Calgary | Calgary | Alberta | Canada | T2V1P9 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- University of Calgary
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Ghazwan Altabbaa, MD MSc, University of Calgary
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Publications
None provided.- 23231