How to Evaluate Trainees’ Clinical Reasoning Skills

Clinical reasoning (CR) is the construct by which healthcare professionals assemble and interpret clinical information to formulate a diagnosis and management plan. Developing this skill can aid with medical decision-making and reduce clinical errors. Increasingly, CR is being included in undergradu...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aysha M. Nijamudeen, Harish K. Thampy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:International Medical Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2813-141X/4/2/20
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Clinical reasoning (CR) is the construct by which healthcare professionals assemble and interpret clinical information to formulate a diagnosis and management plan. Developing this skill can aid with medical decision-making and reduce clinical errors. Increasingly, CR is being included in undergraduate medical curricula, but the cultivation of this skill must continue in postgraduate training as doctors evolve to manage patients with increasing complexity. This is especially relevant in postgraduate training as doctors rotate through multiple specialties, assessing undifferentiated patients. Clinical trainers should therefore not only help develop their trainees’ CR skills, but also effectively evaluate their progression in this competency through placement-based assessment tools. This article introduces the reader to CR theories and principles before exploring four such methods for evaluating a trainee’s CR skills in a workplace setting. The various workplace tools described in this article are not intended to be prescriptive methodologies that must be rigidly followed, but instead offer a range of approaches that supervisors can dip into, and even combine, as suited to their trainees’ needs and level of performance to help foster this crucial aspect of professional development.
ISSN:2813-141X