Inductive or deductive clinical reasoning: a qualitative proposal in Kinesiology

Summary

Introduction: through the process of clinical reasoning, health professionals critically evaluate their interventions, this skill being necessary to recognize which factors are relevant to the user, in order to make appropriate clinical judgments that contribute to the condition of the patient. optimal patient health. The literature indicates that the process in a student may not be linear, making it necessary to go back and look for new solutions and patterns to determine a therapeutic choice. Objective: to describe the clinical reasoning process carried out in intermediate cycle students of Kinesiology at the University of Concepción. Method: qualitative and descriptive research. 7 third and fourth year students from the University of Concepción participated in data collection, following an informed consent process. A sociodemographic questionnaire was applied and the kinesiological problems of a clinical case were analyzed through free association. Recordings were obtained with a recorder and then content analysis was performed using CAQDAS Atlas-ti 7.5.2. Results: from reading the recorded documents, 335 units associated with the clinical reasoning of Kinesiology students emerged. These units were grouped into 58 codes and these, in turn, into 2 categories: deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning. Discussion: the analysis of the process is essential to identify what strategies students look for to solve a clinical case, what differences and particularities exist between students, and what teaching methodologies are most appropriate for appropriately guide the therapeutic decisions that health professionals will face on a daily basis.