Professional Judgment:A Reader in Clinical Decision Making

RecentdebateinbothEuropeandNorthAmericahasfocussedonhowcliniciansmakejudgmentsanddecisions,howthesemaybeevaluatedandhowtheycouldbeimproved.Thisvolumeprovidesstudents,teachersandpractitionerswithacomprehensiveintroductiontothemaindescriptiveandprescriptiveapproachestojudgmentanddecisionmakinginclinicalmedicine.Thecontributors,whoincludepsychologists,economists,decisiontheorists,statisticians,lawyersandsociologists,aswellasmedicalspecialists,provideexamplesofrecentempiricalresearchanditsapplications,aswellasoutliningtherelevantconceptsandtheories.Policy-capturingmodels,data-basedaids,expert('knowledg-based')systemsanddecisionanalysisarethemaintechniquesintroduced,withattentiontoboththeirmethodologicalbasesandpracticalevaluation.Alsoincludedinthecollectionareaseriesofpaperswhichconsidertheeconomic,ethicalandlegalcontextsofclinicalactivityandtheeducationandwidersocializationofclinicians.Issuessurroundingthe'cost-effective'useofresources,theobtainingof'informedconsent'frompatientsandethicalbehaviourunderuncertaintyarehighlighted.