Introduction to Errors and Bias in Clinical Practice

Errors and biases in clinical practice are critical issues that can significantly affect patient outcomes and the overall quality of healthcare delivery. These biases can manifest in various forms, including implicit biases held by healthcare providers, reporting biases in clinical research, and systematic errors in clinical decision-making. Understanding these biases is essential for improving clinical practices and ensuring equitable healthcare for all patients.

Aspect	Definition	Examples
Cognitive Errors	Flaws in thinking during clinical information processing. Often arise from incomplete or incorrect data interpretation.	Misinterpreting test results, premature closure of diagnostic process, anchoring on initial impressions.
Types of Cognitive Errors	Availability Error: Relying on easily recalled cases rather than statistical probability. Premature Closure: Stopping the diagnostic process after a plausible diagnosis is reached. Anchoring Error: Fixating on initial information and ignoring new evidence.	↑ Missed alternative diagnoses, ↑ reliance on intuition.
Cognitive Biases	Systematic patterns of deviation from rational judgment, often subconscious, influencing decisions.	Confirmation Bias Overconfidence Bias Attribution Bias
External Pressures	Situational influences disrupting decision-making.	Time Constraints Resource Limitations Workplace Culture
Internal Pressures	Personal and psychological influences impairing judgment.	Fatigue Stress and Anxiety HALT (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired)
Metacognition	Awareness and evaluation of...