ArticleAcademic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges2020
Uncertainty in Decision Making in Medicine: A Scoping Review and Thematic Analysis of Conceptual Models.
Article in Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 54 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
54 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Developing an integrated multilevel model of uncertainty in health care: a qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis.BMJ global health · 2022Pooled it
- Development of a self-reported clinical decision-making competence scale for medical students.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- Comparative effectiveness and safety of oral antihypertensive agents for severe asymptomatic hypertension: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension · 2026Article
- Early treatment goal uncertainty as a barrier to regional analgesia and respiratory deterioration in traumatic rib fractures: a propensity-weighted analysis.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2026Observational
- Scoping Review of Global Kidney Genetics Clinic Models and Outcomes.Kidney international reports · 2026Article
- 'I was a bit hasty … I was a young resident!' Medical residents' responses to clinical uncertainty.Medical education · 2026Article
- What aspects of clinical uncertainty are addressed by published competencies in evidence-based medicine? A scoping review.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Trust Barriers and Vulnerabilities in Older Adults' Telemedicine Adoption: Scoping Review.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Review
- Metrology in Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA): From Measurement Science to Clinical and Research Applications.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Supporting Parental Decision-Making After Life-Limiting Fetal Diagnoses: The Role of Perinatal Hospice and the NOVA-L Decision Support System.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Uptake and timing of risk-reducing gynecologic surgery among individuals with Lynch syndrome identified via population screening.Familial cancer · 2026Article
- Escaping analysis paralysis in medical training: from FRAZZLE to CALM.Nature biotechnology · 2026Article
- Feeling the Vibes: An Investigation Into Resident Antibiotic Prescribing Practices.Open forum infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Understanding treatment expectations toward emerging therapies in veterinary medicine: the role of knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs toward psychedelic-assisted interventions.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2026Article
- Association between uncertainty stress and self-rated health among Chinese healthcare professionals: a nationwide cross-sectional survey.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- "I hope to get some hope": balancing expectations, hope, and acceptance in naturally occurring consultations without a medical diagnosis.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2025Article
- Pathogen Safety Issues Around the "Blood Scandals" 1995-2024-A Perspective Built on Experience.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The Chinese version of the autonomy preference index for advanced cancer patients: a study on cultural adaptation based on cognitive interview.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- A Roadmap for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Kidney Care: A Scoping Review and Content Analysis.Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN · 2025Article
- Survey and perspective on verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification of digital twins for precision medicine.NPJ digital medicine · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposeThe practice of medicine is rarely straightforward. Data used to facilitate medical decision making may be conflicting, ambiguous, or scarce, and providing optimal care requires balancing clinicians' expertise and available evidence with patients' preferences. To explore uncertainty in decision making across disciplines, the authors performed a scoping review and thematic analysis of the literature to formulate a model describing the decision-making process in medicine under uncertain conditions.
methodIn 2016, the authors performed a comprehensive search of key databases using a combination of keywords and controlled vocabulary. They identified and reviewed 3,398 records. After applying their inclusion and exclusion criteria to the titles and abstracts and then full texts, 19 articles were selected. The authors applied a qualitative thematic analysis to these articles, using codes to extract themes related to uncertainty in decision making.
resultsThe 19 articles spanned 6 fields of study and 5 disciplines within the health sciences. The thematic analysis revealed 6 main themes: recognition of uncertainty, classification of uncertainty, stakeholder perspectives, knowledge acquisition, decision-making approach, and evaluation of the decision-making process.
conclusionsBased on the themes that emerged from their thematic analysis of the literature characterizing the effects of uncertainty and ambiguity on the decision-making process, the authors developed a framework depicting the interplay between these themes with a visual representation of the decision-making process under uncertain conditions. Future research includes further development and validation of this framework to inform medical school curricula.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.