RCGP publishes new book: Mapping Uncertainty in Medicine

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has just published guidance to help clinicians understand uncertainty in medical practice, help them manage it effectively and improve their stress levels and resilience as a result.

The book has wide appeal – clinicians in all specialties whether experienced or in training, or wherever in the world they are practising.

 Full details, a sample chapter and purchasing can be found on the RCGP website.

The RCGP website preview of the book says:

If you experience uncertainty in clinical practice, this book will help you understand and manage it effectively, improving your stress levels and resilience as a result.

Uncertainty is the norm in medical practice, yet often gives rise to distress in clinicians who fear they will make shameful or guilt inducing errors.

This book offers a succinct method for classifying uncertainty and finding the right skills to manage different types of uncertainty successfully.

The psychology of uncertainty is explored in a way that gives rise to increased resilience as you learn to accept and manage uncertainty more proactively rather than fearing or denying it.

Uncertainty falls into distinct types:

• Analysing skills unpick uncertainties relating to diagnosis in the consultation.

• Networking skills are needed for effective use of diagnostic tests or referral pathways.

• Uncertainties in managing care will be helped by effective negotiating skills with individual patients or teamworking skills where a group, team or family is involved.

Uncertainty is normalised and contextualised to different aspects of daily practice. There is a simple algorithm, used to classify uncertainty and find the right skills for the particular problem. This method has been tried and tested with numerous groups and found to work well. The tool is also used to map effective methods for teaching and training on the subject of uncertainty.

Patient perspectives on uncertainty are also included.

ISBN Number: 9780850844054
Number of pages: 332
Publisher: RCGP
Published: February 2016

 Full details, a sample chapter and purchasing can be found on the RCGP website.