Characterization of Problem Solving in Audiology

Implications for Training

¹ Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and The Bill Wilkerson Center, Nashville, TN
² Department of Computer Science Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Characterizing diagnostic problem solving by students, intermediates, and experts may facilitate an understanding of how to help students attain required diagnostic skills. Studies in other specialties characterize experts as spending more time and effort in understanding a problem before they begin to solve it. That is, at the beginning of a problemsolving episode, experts work to limit the problem space. On the other hand, novices often plunge immediately into the solution process. In order to learn more about diagnostic problem-solving in audiology, a computer-based environment, Simon Says©, was used to assist in the collection of problem-solving data. The results of two experiments revealed that accurate diagnosis in audiology appears to be related to the ability to set up patient problem contexts by analyzing presenting symptoms and history information and using the more focused context to interpret test data.

Key Words: expertise, diagnosis, audiology training, problem solving, clinical reasoning

Submitted on December 29, 1994
Accepted on March 3, 1995