opinion 6,1
ecl569
clinton_sutherland_.docxClinton Sutherland
1 posts
Re:Module 6 DQ 1
The use of stereotypes and heuristics can lead a doctor to an incorrect diagnosis. How could the doctor effectively identify the degree to which stereotypes and heuristics are an influence on diagnoses? What tactic might the doctor use to mitigate the effects of stereotypes and heuristics when making diagnoses? Why is this tactic likely to be effective?
The use of heuristics is when trying to make a decision one quickly remember several relevant examples. One will judge these events outcome as being more common or frequently occurring. For example a doctor may quickly diagnose a child as ADHD because according to the child teacher the child show short attention span, have difficulty completing homework assignment and easily distracted. Heuristics help make life easier and allow one to make quick decisions that are usually pretty accurate. In this situation the doctor degree of stereotype is thinking of teaches attribution of a presented problem as always a reliable source. (Kohn, Chiu, & Brusco, 2015) The doctor may consider these symptoms observed by the teacher enough, and being that they are some symptoms that are associated with a diagnosis of ADHD. However, because this is one area of children health that is commonly misdiagnosed, there are other factors to consider such as anxiety and living environment. A child my have Post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of something traumatic that occur in his/her life and there are times when the child finds it difficult to concentrate. To mediate the effects of stereotypes and heuristics, the doctor must look to find other alternative reasons for a problem other than the most obvious ones. The use of this tactic increases the number of possible reasons for the presented problem giving one a higher accuracy in diagnosis.
Reference
Heuristic cognitive diagnosis when the Q-matrix is unknown. British Journal of Mathematical & Statistical Psychology. Vol. 68 Issue 2 p268-291. 24p.
https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=102121191&site=eds-live&scope=site
Alice Benningfield
1 posts
Re:Module 6 DQ 1
The use of stereotypes and heuristics can lead a doctor to an incorrect diagnosis. How could the doctor effectively identify the degree to which stereotypes and heuristics are an influence on diagnoses? What tactic might the doctor use to mitigate the effects of stereotypes and heuristics when making diagnoses? Why is this tactic likely to be effective?
Stereotypes and heuristics play a very important role in an individual’s ability to make sense of all the information received on a daily basis. It aids in comprehending and categorizing the huge amount of information in ways that will be useful later. However, it can lead to ignoring or excluding some information that does not fit well with the other information. Experiences shape the thoughts of people, and are often created with biased exposure. Some of these factors include; social interactions, family influences, weight, culture, and even insurance coverage (Hayes, 2016). Other limitations to consider when understanding why a doctor may make an incorrect or biased diagnosis may include such things as time limitations, burn-out, and availability of information (Hayes, 2016). Biases are unavoidable in the doctor’s decision making process, and therefore do influence diagnosis. Simply knowing an individual’s age, sex, ethnicity, along with other basic information such as family history, may lead to the formation of several hypotheses by the doctor because of categorization (Schroeder, 2016). It influences the choice of next set of tests to conduct based on statistics of risks for the category this individual is likely to be associated with. Because of this categorization, the doctor may overlook important information that could lead to a wrong diagnosis. According to Schroeder (2016), a doctor could reduce incorrect diagnoses by being aware of personal shortcomings and biases present in research, stereotypical behavioural patterns, along with ill-defined terms used in diagnosis reports. It is important for the doctor to understand their personal biases, value systems, assumptions, and beliefs (Schroeder, 2016). It is important for the doctor to be aware of his or her personal limitations and biases in order to reduce how biases affect the patient’s outcome.
Hayes, A. (2016). Could doctor bias be affecting your treatment?. WebMD. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160113/doctor-bias-treatment
Schroeder, M. O. (2016). Racial bias in medicine leads to worse care for minorities. U. S. News. Retrieved from: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-02-11/racial-bias-in-medicine-leads-to-worse-care-for-minorities
