Physicians' use of probabilistic information in a real clinical setting

Abstract

Investigated 9 physicians' processing of probabilistic information while they were treating possible pneumonia patients at an outpatient clinic. Ss overestimated the patients' probability of pneumonia but were sensitive to relative differences in the predictive value of symptoms when present and absent. They also appeared to use base-rate information correctly when making clinical judgments. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1981 American Psychological Association.