ABFM Clinical Decision Making Flashcards
6 cards from real ABFM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 ABFM Clinical Decision Making flashcards as text
Which cognitive bias occurs when a physician prematurely settles on an initial diagnosis and ignores new contradicting information?
Answer: Anchoring bias
Anchoring bias occurs when a physician fixates on an initial impression and fails to adequately revise the diagnosis when new evidence emerges.
A 55-year-old woman presents with fatigue and a TSH of 8.5 mIU/L with normal free T4. What is the ABFM-aligned clinical decision?
Answer: Treat with levothyroxine if symptomatic, per current guidelines
Subclinical hypothyroidism with TSH between 4.5-10 mIU/L is treated with levothyroxine if the patient is symptomatic, per current endocrine society guidelines.
In clinical decision making, what does the term 'Number Needed to Treat' (NNT) represent?
Answer: The number of patients who must receive a treatment for one to benefit
NNT represents the number of patients who need to receive a treatment for one patient to experience the intended benefit compared to a control.
A family physician suspects domestic violence in a patient. What is the most appropriate clinical decision?
Answer: Screen using a validated tool such as HITS and document findings
Using validated screening tools like HITS (Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream) and documenting findings is the evidence-based approach to identifying intimate partner violence.
Which strategy best supports clinical decision making when managing a patient with multiple chronic conditions?
Answer: Prioritize conditions using a patient-centered, systematic approach
A patient-centered, systematic approach to prioritizing comorbidities ensures the most impactful conditions are addressed while minimizing treatment burden.
When interpreting a screening test result, which concept describes the probability that a positive test truly indicates disease?
Answer: Positive predictive value
Positive predictive value (PPV) is the probability that a patient with a positive test result truly has the disease, influenced by disease prevalence.