Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Flashcards
6 cards from real UCAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving flashcards as text
An argument claims that because Hospital X has the best survival rates, it must have the best doctors. Which logical flaw is present?
Answer: Confusing correlation with causation
Survival rates may be influenced by many factors (case mix, resources, location) other than doctor quality — the argument confuses association with causation.
A clinical scenario describes a conflict between best clinical evidence and a patient's personal wishes. Which ethical principle is most relevant to respecting the patient's wishes?
Answer: Autonomy
Autonomy is the principle that patients have the right to make informed decisions about their own care.
A health commissioner has evidence that Intervention A saves 10 lives per 1,000 patients and costs $2,000 per patient. Intervention B saves 6 lives per 1,000 and costs $800 per patient. Which intervention is more cost-effective per life saved?
Answer: Intervention B
Cost per life saved: A = $2,000 × 1,000 / 10 = $200,000; B = $800 × 1,000 / 6 ≈ $133,333 — Intervention B is more cost-effective.
Which of the following best describes the term 'equipoise' in clinical trial design?
Answer: There is genuine uncertainty about which treatment arm is superior
Clinical equipoise means there is genuine uncertainty in the expert community about which treatment is better, ethically justifying a randomised trial.
A news headline states: 'Eating chocolate reduces heart attack risk by 50%.' The underlying study shows a relative risk reduction of 50% with an absolute risk reduction of 0.2%. What is the most accurate interpretation?
Answer: The relative benefit sounds large but the absolute benefit is very small
A 50% relative reduction sounds impressive but an absolute risk reduction of only 0.2% means the actual individual benefit is minimal.
In a UCAT practice context, which of the following best describes 'analogical reasoning'?
Answer: Drawing conclusions about a new case based on its similarity to a known case
Analogical reasoning involves applying lessons from a familiar case to a new, similar situation — a key skill in clinical problem-solving.
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