Which term defines clinical decision making that integrates best available research with clinical expertise and patient characteristics and preferences?

• A. Clinical decision making
• B. Evidence-based practice
• C. Therapist intuition
• D. Biopsychosocial approach

Answer: (B)

Evidence-based practice is about blending the strongest available research with your clinical experience and the patient’s values and circumstances. In psychology, this means using high-quality studies, guidelines, and reviews to guide what treatment is likely to work, while also drawing on your expertise to judge applicability to the individual and to tailor the approach to the patient’s goals, culture, and preferences. It also involves collaborating with the patient in decision making, considering factors such as their preferences, potential barriers, and what they value in therapy. For example, you’d weigh evidence for a therapy like CBT for anxiety, adapt it to the patient’s unique situation (comorbid conditions, past experiences, treatment setting), and align the plan with the patient’s goals.

Clinical decision making, by contrast, is a broader term that can rely on clinician experience alone. Therapist intuition refers to gut feelings or tacit judgment without systematic use of research. The biopsychosocial approach is a framework for understanding illness across biological, psychological, and social factors, not a specific decision-making method.