09.12.2022 - By Rob Orman, MD
We’re all guilty of it, basing decisions on the most recent event. It’s surely part of our wiring. The question is - what do we do about it? In this episode, Justin Morgenstern breaks down availability bias: what it is, how it shows up in life and medical practice, the difference between learning and bias, research showing availability bias happening in real-time, and ways to turn availability bias from a bug into a feature. Guest Bio: Justin Morgenstern is a community emergency physician with a passion for education, resuscitation, and evidence-based medicine, Purveyor of the amazing First10EM blog, Justin works in the Greater Toronto Area. On a personal note, Justin and I met years ago at a conference in the Bahamas. He was in the audience and was such an incredible contributor to a group conversation that I had him come up on stage and be a panel member. Since then, I’ve found that he is a rare mix of humility, genius, and kindness. Awake and Aware | Our 2024 Live Event Join us at Awake and Aware 2024, a transformative 3-day workshop from May 1st to 3rd in Bend, Oregon. Mitigate stress and stay cool under pressure. Create the mindset you want and lock it in. Limited slots. Website: Awakeandawarebend.com 16.25 Hours Category 1 AMA CME The Flameproof CourseThis is the hidden anti-burnout curriculum we all should have learned in training. Cohort 3 begins Sept 10, 2024. Get the deets For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website We discuss:Availability Bias and how it relates to everyday decision-making. What is availability bias;Where this shows up in clinical practice;Learning is not availability bias;Whether more testing is the right path for subtle presentations of life-threatening diseases;Testing thresholds;Tips for avoiding availability bias in our practices;Real world example of availability bias;Justin’s tools for addressing bias;Ways to hack the bias.