Physicians Augment Knowledge with Emotion in Making Medical Decisions

Abstract

The goal of this chapter is to better understand how Romanian physicians combine what they learned in medical school with professional consensus opinions inculcated at their institutions and their personal beliefs to deal with everyday patient situations. To accomplish this, a study was conducted among thirty-two physicians through questionnaires. The results indicated that physicians’ previous experiences and the opinions of their peers were not primarily used in optimising medical performance, but rather to preserve their status and protect them from accusations of professional failure. Relevant variables were identified and the survey was designed to determine correlations between specific elements, how they influenced each other and affected medical decisions. Because theoretical studies indicated that medical decisions were shaped by human interactions, the work relationships of the physicians were analysed and matched with individual attitudes and behaviour. From this perspective, analysing the effect of mistrust for example was relevant for understanding how the need for conformity was overlaid on the knowledge base to generate a decision. This study revealed the need for in-depth research on medical decision-making. Refining the working protocols will help healthcare professionals reduce errors and be prepared for exceptional situations such as pandemics.