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anchoring
Clinical significance:
- source of diagnostic error
- occurs when a clinician latches onto a diagnosis & fails to consider other possibilities
- an example is formulating a diagnosis based on initial impression & failing to consider other diagnoses as additional information becomes avaiblable
Complications:
- anchoring bias in triage (incorrect initial impressions) may delay correct diagnosis [2]
Management:
- consider findings inconsistent with anchoring diagnosis
- consider worst-case scenario of differential diagnosis [1]
Related
diagnostic error (missed diagnosis)
General
bias
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 16, 17.
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2012, 2015
- Ly DP et al.
Evidence for anchoring bias during physician decision-making.
JAMA Intern Med 2023 Jun 26; e232366; [e-pub].
PMID: 37358843
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2806464