Intuition in clinical decision-making: a psychological penumbra

Aim: To demonstrate the link between intuition and cognitive as well as physiological processes as a way of helping to explain how intuition plays a part in complex decision-making. Background: Over the years, numerous debates and discussions have raged about how intuition contributes to the making of complex clinical decisions. Intuition continues to be poorly understood, and in some cases, it is still considered the work of our sixth sense. Although experts make accurate intuitive decisions, they are not always able to articulate how they have arrived at a particular decision. Method: We use two scientific experiments to demonstrate how research has helped to explain the cognitive and physiological functions of intuition in relation to complex decision-making. We discuss the role of unconscious thought in intuitive decision-making. Finally, we show that intuition can be a valuable component of expert practice. Conclusion: Intuition has traceable cognitive and physiological bases that help us understand how we use it as a basis for making complex clinical decisions. Experts, especially those working in acute and palliative care, where there are difficult ethical as well as clinical patients situations, can benefit from using intuitive ideas to arrive at complex decisions.