Background: Diagnostic reasoning is a complex cognitive process that requires intuitive, heuristic processing from knowledge and experience, as well as deliberate and reflective thinking. Evidence on interventions to improve diagnostic reasoning is inconsistent, in part because different terms and models are used to guide research.
Methodology: A review of the literature through systematic database search, historical articles, texts, and documents was conducted from inception through August 2023 ( N = 41).
Results: The MDR model depicts the following concepts: (1) metacognition is viewed as the driving force of diagnostic reasoning; (2) dual cognitive processing and knowledge representations are used; (3) once a diagnosis, treatment plan, and evaluation are complete, APRNs use metacognition for the next patient encounter, using repetition for improvement of the process.
Conclusions: The model combines key concepts of diagnostic reasoning, providing a framework for researchers to develop and test, and faculty to teach and evaluate this complex process in learners.
Implications: The MDR model provides research opportunities to validate its usefulness and effectiveness and a framework to guide educational research, contributing to the body of evidence-based practice in nursing. In addition, it may foster ongoing education and training that could lead to more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans, ultimately improving patient care by reducing diagnostic errors.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (JAANP) is a monthly peer-reviewed professional journal that serves as the official publication of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
Published since 1989, the JAANP provides a strong clinical focus with articles related to primary, secondary, and tertiary care, nurse practitioner education, health policy, ethics and ethical issues, and health care delivery. The journal publishes original research, integrative/comprehensive reviews, case studies, a variety of topics in clinical practice, and theory-based articles related to patient and professional education. Although the majority of nurse practitioners function in primary care, there is an increasing focus on the provision of care across all types of systems from acute to long-term care settings.