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Health professionals demonstrate their arts and skills in clinical and professional reasoning when they collect the key information that enables them to "take the right action for the right patient [or client] at the right time and for the right reason" (Levett-Jones et al., 2010). Abductive reasoning is defined as the complex cognitive process required for the integration of evidence derived from science, professional experience and clients' needs, values, preferences and choices (Townsend & Polatajko, 2013). Such reasoning contributes to decision making and problem solving (Simmons, 2010) and is instrumental in delivering innovative, person-centered and cost-effective services in the present context of limited health care resources.
Currently, the literature on clinical and professional reasoning is more abundant in the fields of nursing and medicine than in that of occupational therapy (Boyt Schell & Schell, 2007). Reasoning should, however, be of primary importance to all health professionals. It is indeed through reasoning that occupational therapists decide on the most relevant interview questions and assessment methods. Reasoning also informs tailored treatment plans and targeted interventions. Many occupational therapists, for instance, use reasoning to provide crucial recommendations regarding clients' capacity to return home, transfer safely to a bath tub, drive a car or return to work.
In the fall of 2016, the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) partnered with the organizing committee of the 3rd Montreal International Conference on Clinical Reasoning to deliver a symposium on clinical reasoning in rehabilitation. This article is based on the work presented at the symposium while further developing the material.
Appraising one's cognitive biases
Identifying a person's or team's susceptibility to certain cognitive biases is the first step to improving clinical reasoning (Mendez & Neufeld, 2003). The following quiz helps identify susceptibility to common cognitive biases known to impede clinical and professional reasoning.
Using Table 1 (next page), mark the thoughts, attitudes and/ or reactions that you or your team might notice if you were seeing Ms. C. You can choose as many as you wish, since several biases can be triggered in a given situation (Norman & Eva, 2010).
Explanation for the different answers and strategies to prevent cognitive biases
* If you chose option A, you are efficient in detecting potential "risk factors" related to driving safety. You may...