Navigating Medicine’s Uncertainties

TL;DR

This article explores how uncertainty is a common part of medical practice and offers ways to handle it effectively.

Contribution

The article introduces ambiguity as a distinct type of uncertainty and provides practical strategies for managing uncertainty in medicine.

Findings

Uncertainty is a constant in medical practice and affects diagnostic reasoning and communication.

Ambiguity is identified as a specific subtype of uncertainty with unique implications.

The article suggests practical approaches to normalize and manage uncertainty in clinical settings.

Abstract

This editorial article is grounded in the bedside experience of uncertainty in medicine. It is a narrative, conceptual synthesis drawing extensively on evidence rather than a systematic review. It frames the ubiquity and relevance of uncertainty in medicine, summarizing some existing concepts and frameworks, also drawing from non-medical fields. Ambiguity is distinguished as a subtype of uncertainty, and some of what is known about the subjective experience of uncertainty is presented. This editorial summarizes some of the literature on communicating uncertainty effectively and explores the link between uncertainty and diagnostic reasoning and cognitive biases. It concludes with suggestions and practical tips for normalizing and grappling with this constant in our work lives.

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