A major amount of our time working in clinical practice involves
thinking and decision making. Perhaps it is because decision making is such a
commonplace activity that it is assumed we can all make effective decisions.
However, this is not the case and the example of diagnostic error supports this
assertion. Until quite recently there has been a general nihilism about the ability
to change the way that we think, but it is now becoming accepted that if we can
think about, and understand, our thinking processes we can improve our decision
making, including diagnosis. In this paper we review the dual process model of
decision making and highlight ways in which decision making can be improved
through the application of this model to our day-to-day practice and by the
adoption of de-biasing strategies and critical thinking.
