15 Examples of Critical Thinking in Health Care Delivery

Improve patient outcomes with critical thinking skills

It’s easy to see why employers highly value critical thinking in healthcare. Healthcare delivery systems can no longer afford to be mistaken about best thinking. Error rates are already in question, difficult problems and decisions must be addressed, and poor judgments can lead to irreparable damage and even cost lives. Positive patient outcomes are improved when healthcare professionals bring strong critical thinking skills to their work.

Examples of the application of critical thinking in healthcare

1. to accurately diagnose emergent conditions;
2. to determine and evaluate therapeutic actions;
3. to analyze and manage health risks;
4. to hire and promote healthcare leaders;
5. to design innovative clinical systems;
6. to achieve goals of agency initiatives;
7. to allocate resources;
8. to anticipate and prevent errors;
9. to use and manage information systems;
10. to understand treatment implications;
11. to develop data driving protocols;
12. to anticipate the implications of actions taken;
13. to analyze and resolve personnel issues;
14. to explain policy & protocols; and
15. to design and evaluate departmental reports.

This list of critical thinking in healthcare goes on almost indefinitely in high-stakes practice settings which require healthcare professionals to make critically important and time sensitive judgments.

Assessing critical thinking in healthcare professionals

Many healthcare centers assess critical thinking to improve clinical judgment skills and minimize errors. Objective critical thinking data becomes an essential component in their hiring and staff development programs.

Hospitals, medical centers and medical schools depend upon the Insight Assessment test instruments specifically calibrated to measure critical thinking in healthcare students and professionals.

INSIGHT Health Professional: for healthcare professionals
INSIGHT Health Staff for clinical support staff
Health Sciences Reasoning Test (HSRT) for health science students
HSRT- Associate Degree (HSRT-AD). for students in 2 year health science programs

Our clients value the high quality, appropriately benchmarked data from the test instruments; the ability to coordinate testing from multiple sites; and the option of working with our technical staff to optimize their testing programs.

Mini-Courses: Mindset Boosters, Skill Builders, Deep Dives, and approved Continuing Education Unit Packs all focused on specific aspects of reasoning, decision-making, and leadership. 100% online. Available for individuals to purchase directly from our Store at Insight Basecamp, and to organizations for bulk rates. Strengthen your critical thinking in as little as one hour.

Strong critical thinking in healthcare professionals and delivery is not optional. It is possible to identify and develop candidates who can demonstrate excellence in professional judgment, sound use of critical thinking skills and the reliable disposition to use these talents.