Problem
I. Pick one cognitive bias listed in the readings (CognitiveErrors_Morgenstern.pdf; CognitiveBiasesPoster.pdf; the HealthIT.gov readings)
i. Name the bias, and briefly describe what the bias is in general (in your own words)
ii. Give an example of how you have personally been influenced by this bias in your own decision-making, or have seen other people be influenced by it. The example can, but doesn't have to involve medical decision-making.
II. A patient comes in complaining of intense back pain. The physician checks the patient's chart and sees that the patient has been seen many times for pain in different parts of their body. The physician also sees that the patient has been prescribed opioids on many of these past visits. The physician believes that the patient is exaggerating their symptoms and does only a very quick exam of the patient's back, and doesn't check carefully for more subtle signs of injury. Seeing nothing obviously wrong, the physician prescribes some maximum-strength ibuprofen.
i. Where do you see attribution bias in this scenario? Briefly describe.
ii. Where do you see confirmation bias in this scenario? Briefly describe.
III. Through genetic screening, a patient is determined to be at elevated risk for an extremely life-threatening disease. There's a diagnostic test for this, but the test itself has some risk for serious, life-threatening complications. Based on the genetic screen, there's about a 2% (1 in 50) chance that the patient has this disease. The diagnostic test has about a .1% (1 in 1000) chance of a life-threatening complication.
The patient's physician considers the actual chances of the patient having the disease are low, and is concerned about ordering a test that has its own risks. Therefore, the physician does not recommend the diagnostic test to the patient.
Which bias (from the ones discussed in class) is this an example of? Explain why.