Ten Commandments to Reduce Cognitive Errors

1. Thou shalt reflect on how you think and decide.
2. Thou shalt not rely on your memory when making critical decisions.
3. Thou shalt make your working environment information-friendly by using the latest wireless technology such as the Tablet PC and PDA.
4. Thou shalt consider other possibilities even though you are sure of your first diagnosis.
5. Thou shalt know Bayesian probability and the epidemiology of the diseases in your differential diagnosis.
6. Thou shalt mentally rehearse common and serious conditions that you expect to see in your specialty.
7. Thou shalt ask yourself if you are the right person to make the final decision or a specialist after considering the patient’s values and wishes.
8. Thou shalt take time to decide and not be pressured by anyone.
9. Thou shalt create accountability procedures and follow up for decisions made.
10. Thou shalt record in a relational data base software your patient’s problems and decisions for review and improvement.

Copyright Leo Leonidas 2003