Critical thinking and problem solving. 1996


This article has discussed how critical thinkers solve problems. The ideas are intended to help pharmacists analyze problems and communicate recommendations. The ideas are intended to help pharmacists analyze their process for dealing with problems and to help with communication skills that facilitate information gathering and recommendations. The scientific method provides a framework for focused problem solving. Biases may adversely affect problem solving; critical thinkers work consciously to minimize them. Critical thinkers continually evaluate the quality of their information sources. Finally, critical thinkers practice effective communication skills. Each day, pharmacists make numerous decisions that have great impact on patient outcomes. These decisions must often be made with little warning and in a brief period of time. Providing pharmaceutical care demands that the critical-thinking process operate efficiently at all times. Just as sound clinical judgments depend on applying accepted principles of pharmacotherapy to individual patients, critical thinking must also be individualized. There is no single model for critical thinking. Many factors, including personality, environmental influence, and genetics, determine the critical-thinking process for a given individual. Critical thinking, however, is not an innate talent. It must be practiced and developed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010593 Pharmaceutical Services Total pharmaceutical services provided by qualified PHARMACISTS. In addition to the preparation and distribution of medical products, they may include consultative services provided to agencies and institutions which do not have a qualified pharmacist. Pharmaceutic Services,Pharmaceutical Care,Pharmacy Services,Services, Pharmaceutic,Services, Pharmaceutical,Services, Pharmacy,Care, Pharmaceutical,Pharmaceutic Service,Pharmaceutical Service,Pharmacy Service,Service, Pharmaceutic,Service, Pharmaceutical,Service, Pharmacy
D010595 Pharmacists Those persons legally qualified by education and training to engage in the practice of pharmacy. Clinical Pharmacists,Community Pharmacists,Retail Pharmacists,Clinical Pharmacist,Community Pharmacist,Pharmacist,Pharmacist, Clinical,Pharmacist, Community,Pharmacist, Retail,Pharmacists, Clinical,Pharmacists, Community,Pharmacists, Retail,Retail Pharmacist
D011340 Problem Solving A learning situation involving more than one alternative from which a selection is made in order to attain a specific goal.
D003142 Communication The exchange or transmission of ideas, attitudes, or beliefs between individuals or groups. Miscommunication,Misinformation,Social Communication,Communication Programs,Communications Personnel,Personal Communication,Communication Program,Communication, Personal,Communication, Social,Communications, Social,Miscommunications,Misinformations,Personnel, Communications,Program, Communication,Programs, Communication,Social Communications
D004496 Education, Continuing Educational programs designed to inform individuals of recent advances in their particular field of interest. They do not lead to any formal advanced standing. Continuous Learning,Life-Long Learning,Lifelong Learning,Continuing Education,Learning, Continuous,Learning, Life-Long,Learning, Lifelong,Learnings, Life-Long,Life Long Learning,Life-Long Learnings
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013850 Thinking Mental activity that is not predominantly perceptual by which one apprehends some aspect of an object or situation based on past learning and experience. Critical Thinking,Thinking Skills,Thought,Thinking Skill,Thinking, Critical,Thoughts
D015982 Bias Any deviation of results or inferences from the truth, or processes leading to such deviation. Bias can result from several sources: one-sided or systematic variations in measurement from the true value (systematic error); flaws in study design; deviation of inferences, interpretations, or analyses based on flawed data or data collection; etc. There is no sense of prejudice or subjectivity implied in the assessment of bias under these conditions. Aggregation Bias,Bias, Aggregation,Bias, Ecological,Bias, Statistical,Bias, Systematic,Ecological Bias,Outcome Measurement Errors,Statistical Bias,Systematic Bias,Bias, Epidemiologic,Biases,Biases, Ecological,Biases, Statistical,Ecological Biases,Ecological Fallacies,Ecological Fallacy,Epidemiologic Biases,Experimental Bias,Fallacies, Ecological,Fallacy, Ecological,Scientific Bias,Statistical Biases,Truncation Bias,Truncation Biases,Bias, Experimental,Bias, Scientific,Bias, Truncation,Biase, Epidemiologic,Biases, Epidemiologic,Biases, Truncation,Epidemiologic Biase,Error, Outcome Measurement,Errors, Outcome Measurement,Outcome Measurement Error

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