Physicians?? Reactions to Uncertainty in Patient Care A New Measure and New Insights
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9102575 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Martha S Gerrity, Martha Gerrity (0000-0002-8772-4591, corresponding author), Robert F Devellis (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Jo Anne Earp (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) |
| Year | 1990 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 724-725 |
| Publication date | 1990-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Medical Care (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0025-7079 • E-ISSN: 1537-1948 |
| Publisher | Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1097/00005650-199008000-00005 |
| PMID | 2385142 |
| OpenAlex | W2027134727 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 40 |
| References cited | 20 |
Although variations in physicians' practice patterns and use of resources are well documented, the reasons for these variations are less well understood. The uncertainty inherent in patient care may be one explanation. Existing measures of intolerance to uncertainty, developed in contexts outside of patient care, fail to explain these variations. To address this limitation, the Physicians' Reactions to Uncertainty scale was developed. A questionnaire containing an initial pool of 61 items was mailed to a random sample of 700 physicians in North Carolina and Oregon, stratified by specialty. The items covered nine areas of physicians' reactions to uncertainty derived from interviews with physicians and a definition of the concept affective reactions to uncertainity in patient care. Factor analysis of the 428 responses received yielded two primary factors that accounted for 58% of the common variance among the 61 items. Items with unambiguous loadings on these factors defined two reliable and readily interpretable subscales: Stress from Uncertainty (Cronbach's alpha = 0.90, 13 items) and Reluctance to Disclose Uncertainty to Others (alpha = 0.75, 9 items). By virtue of its clarity and good psychometric properties, this new measure promises insights into the role that uncertainty plays in physicians' resource utilization and practice patterns
Actuarial science · Business · CLARITY · Cronbach's alpha · Family medicine · Patient care · Psychometrics · Sample (material) · Scale (ratio) · Specialty · Variance (accounting) · Clinical Psychology · Clinical Reasoning and Diagnostic Skills · Healthcare cost, quality, practices · Medicine · Nursing · Optimism, Hope, and Well-being · Psychology
Temporal changes in tolerance of uncertainty among medical students
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‘I was uncertain, but I was acting on it’
Uncertainty experienced by newly qualified doctors during the transition to internship
Tolerance for uncertainty and medical students' specialty choices
La aversión al riesgo en la toma de decisiones médicas
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Uncertainty and Professional Work
Physicians' Attitudes Toward Litigation and Defensive Practice
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Psychiatric Residents' Scores on Machiavellianism
Surgical Residents' Scores on Measures of Machiavellianism and Physicians' Uncertainty
The Effectiveness of Online Mindfulness Training for Psychologists – A Brief Report
Self-Esteem, Reaction to Uncertainty, and Physician Practice Variation
Cultural adaptation and assessment of validity evidence for scores obtained using a French version of the Tolerance of Ambiguity in Medical Students and Doctors scale
Adaptation culturelle et évaluation des preuves de validité des scores obtenus à l’aide d’une version française de l’échelle Tolerance of Ambiguity in Medical Students And Doctor
Educational Needs for Coping with Clinical Uncertainty in Physiotherapy
Uncertainty tolerance in healthcare
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Physicians’ attitudes about communicating and managing scientific uncertainty differ by perceived ambiguity aversion of their patients
Communicating uncertainty can lead to less decision satisfaction
Medical Uncertainty in Students Entering Medical School
Physicians’ Anxiety Due to Uncertainty and Use of Race in Medical Decision Making
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Tolerance of uncertainty
The Scientific Use of Factor Analysis in Behavioral and Life Sciences
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Variations in Medical Care among Small Areas
Psychological sources of ambiguity avoidance
Sociologic Influences on Decision-Making by Clinicians
The Evolution of Medical Uncertainty
Measurement of Ambiguity Tolerance
Why Doctors Don't Disclose Uncertainty
Intolerance of ambiguity as a personality variable1
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Revised Scale for Ambiguity Tolerance
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Patterns of physicians' use of medical resources in ambulatory settings
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An examination of the relationships among interpersonal stress, morale and academic performance in male and female medical students
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| Unique citing works | 40 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,14 |
| Citation span | 1991 - 2026 (36) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 31 |