General practitioners' reasoning when considering the diagnosis heart failure: a think-aloud study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Diagnosing chronic heart failure is difficult, especially in mild cases or early in the course of the disease, and guidelines are not easily implemented in everyday practice. The aim of this study was to investigate general practitioners' diagnostic reasoning about patients with suspected chronic heart failure in comparison with recommendations in European guidelines.

Methods

Think-aloud technique was used. Fifteen general practitioners reasoned about six case vignettes, representing authentic patients with suspected chronic heart failure. Information about each case was added successively in five steps. The general practitioners said their thoughts aloud while reasoning about the probability of the patient having chronic heart failure, and tried to decide about t

SUBMITTER: Skaner Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC546006 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature