Cognitive Biases in Health Care Tip Sheet
Clinical decisions often happen fast and under pressure. That is when cognitive biases can influence judgment, communication, and follow-through. This tip sheet provides a clear, quick-reference guide to help teams spot common thinking traps and apply simple safeguards that improve patient safety.
Who it’s for:
- Physicians, nurses, and interdisciplinary care teams
- Patient safety, risk management and quality leaders
- Clinical educators, residency and training programs
- Teams reviewing events, near misses and diagnostic concerns
What it can be used for
- Supporting diagnostic safety and decision-making conversations
- Improving case review quality
- Building shared language around bias
- Training leaders to coach teams during stressful, ambiguous situations
What’s Inside:
- Situation: When bias is most likely (time pressure, handoffs, competing priorities)
- Background: Common cognitive biases and how they show up in care delivery
- Assessment: Red flags that bias may be affecting decisions or communication
- Recommendations: Practical debiasing tactics (timeouts, second looks, structured checks)
Key Resources
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