Oxford Professional Practice: Handbook of Critical Thinking in Clinical Practice

The Handbook of Clinical Critical Thinking in Clinical Medicine provides a clear, practical introduction to critical thinking in clinical diagnosis, offering healthcare professionals a concise framework for understanding how they make decisions, where those decisions can go wrong, and how to improve them. Despite growing recognition of its importance, critical thinking remains under-taught in medicine, leaving many clinicians without an explicit model for recognizing cognitive errors or enhancing diagnostic safety. With diagnostic error representing the greatest threat to patient safety, the need for accessible guidance on thinking processes has never been more urgent.Designed for busy readers across all healthcare roles - from paramedics and nurses to advanced practitioners and physicians-the book distills essential concepts into brief, synoptic chapters supported by real examples from acute and emergency care. It guides readers through the scope of diagnostic error, the nature of critical thinking, dual process theory, common cognitive biases, high-risk situations, and practical strategies to strengthen clinical reasoning. Practitioners can build a workable understanding that they can return to repeatedly, deepening their skills through reflection and the book's extensive signposting to further resources.