clinical reasoning
nounUK /ˈklɪnɪkəl ˈriːzənɪŋ/
US /ˈklɪnɪkəl ˈrizənɪŋ/
Thinking like a doctor to figure out what is wrong and how to help.
The doctor used clinical reasoning to decide that the child's cough was caused by a cold, not by asthma.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The step-by-step way nurses decide what care a patient needs.
Her clinical reasoning helped her notice the warning signs early and call the doctor.
3. The thinking process students practice to solve pretend patient cases in medical school.
In class, the students practiced clinical reasoning on a made-up case about a boy with a fever.
4. The habit of checking facts and test results before choosing a treatment.
Good clinical reasoning means looking at the lab results again before prescribing medicine.