The Bearable Lightness of Uncertainty

Davis, Denise L.; Chou, Calvin L.

doi:10.1007/s11606-019-05191-4

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…At this point, it may seem that such physicians would be paragons of virtue. And indeed, we ought to encourage young doctors to be honest about the limits of their knowledge, 22,25 develop strong interpersonal skills, be honest and forthcoming in their interactions with patients, 23,26 and not shy away from new challenges. Unfortunately, the portrait of the extremely uncertainty-tolerant physician has some less attractive features as well.…”

Section: The Uncertainty-tolerant Clinicianmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A clinician's intolerance for uncertainty may motivate her to comb the medical literature for the latest scholarship, to ask patients more probing questions and listen more carefully to their answers, or to ask more experienced colleagues for guidance. 23,25,26 These are all ways that actual practitioners may confront the threat of uncertainty head on. One significant implication of this analysis is that intolerance for uncertainty is not a trait we should try to eliminate or dilute in young doctors.…”

Section: Fight or Flightmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rather, both tolerance and intolerance for uncertainty give their bearers advantages while at the same time exposing them to pitfalls in clinical practice. We also explain how the virtues of courage , 23 diligence , and curiosity could help practitioners avoid the hazards that attend excessive tolerance and intolerance for uncertainty. Ultimately, we conclude that medicine has room for both tolerant and intolerant practitioners and that medical educators should focus on helping trainees cultivate these virtues rather than solely focusing on increasing tolerance or reducing intolerance for uncertainty per se.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Tolerance for Uncertainty and Professional Development: a Normative Analysis

2021

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Scholars from a range of disciplines including medicine, sociology, psychology, and philosophy have addressed the concepts of ambiguity and uncertainty in medical practice and training. Most of this scholarship has been descriptive, focusing on defining and measuring ambiguity and uncertainty tolerance or tracking clinicians’ responses to ambiguous and uncertain situations. Meanwhile, scholars have neglected some fundamental normative questions: Is tolerance of uncertainty good; if so, to what extent? Using a philosophical approach to these questions, we show that neither tolerance nor intolerance of uncertainty is necessarily a good or bad trait. Rather, both tolerance and intolerance of uncertainty can give physicians advantages while at the same time exposing them to pitfalls in clinical practice. After making this case, we argue that cultivating certain virtues—like courage, diligence, and curiosity—could help clinicians avoid the dangers of excessive tolerance and intolerance of uncertainty. Finally, we suggest that medical educators develop curricula and career counseling beginning with matriculation and proceeding through specialty choice and residency training that explicitly address trainees’ responses to clinical uncertainty. These programs should encourage trainees, students and residents, to be mindful of their reactions to uncertainty and help them develop virtues that will allow them to avoid the hazards of extreme tolerance or intolerance of uncertainty.

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