Professional Judgment (professional + judgment)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Determining dangerousness in sexually violent predator evaluations: cognitive,experiential self-theory and juror judgments of expert testimony

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 4 2007
Joel D. Lieberman Ph.D.
Past research examining the effects of expert testimony on the future dangerousness of a defendant in death penalty sentencing found that jurors are more influenced by less scientific clinical expert testimony and tend to devalue scientific actuarial testimony. This study was designed to determine whether these findings extend to civil commitment trials for sexual offenders and to test a theoretical rationale for this effect. In addition, we investigated the influence of a recently developed innovation in risk assessment procedures, Guided Professional Judgment (GPJ) instruments. Consistent with a cognitive,experiential self-theory based explanation, mock jurors motivated to process information in an experiential condition were more influenced by clinical testimony, while mock jurors in a rational mode were more influenced by actuarial testimony. Participants responded to clinical and GPJ testimony in a similar manner. However, participants' gender exerted important interactive effects on dangerousness decisions, with male jurors showing the predicted effect while females did not. The policy implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Professional Errors Caused by Lasers and Intense Pulsed Light Technology in Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine: Preventive Strategies and Case Studies

DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 2 2002
Baerbel Greve MD
background. The use of lasers and intense pulsed light (IPL) technology has become established practice in dermatology and aesthetic medicine. The increase in popularity and widespread use of such equipment has been accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of case reports about professional errors. objective. We present 14 case studies of professional errors. methods. Selected representative case reports are used to illustrate and discuss typical professional errors and serve as the basis for creating preventive strategies. results. Recommendations have been developed for the following areas: physician training, patient information, documentation, diagnosis, indication, test treatment, and performing treatment. conclusion. The use of lasers and IPL technology in dermatology and aesthetic medicine requires practitioners not only to have high levels of training and experience, but also to exercise professional judgment. In spite of all of the precautions taken, the risk of complications and side effects can be reduced but not completely eliminated. [source]


Discretion in Tax Enforcement

ECONOMICA, Issue 283 2004
Luigi Alberto Franzoni
This paper deals with the issue of whether the Revenue Service (RS) should be allowed, or even encouraged, to negotiate settlement agreements with taxpayers subject to examination. We consider the case in which the RS enjoys discretion at the settlement stage, its stance being guided by officers' professional judgment. We show that discretionary settlements serve a desirable function, as they allow the RS to better exploit taxpayer-specific information and to take advantage of the bargaining power it can wield at the negotiation stage. [source]


RULES, TECHNIQUE, AND PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE: A WITTGENSTEINIAN EXPLORATION OF VOCATIONAL LEARNING

EDUCATIONAL THEORY, Issue 4 2006
Christopher WinchArticle first published online: 30 NOV 200
He argues that most rule-following is only successful when it involves a degree of flexibility. For instance, most technical work that involves rule-following requires flexibility and situational awareness for success. Technical education that fails to take account of the need to apply rules in a way that accounts for a wide variety of situations is likely to be unsuccessful. Winch offers an account of professional judgment based on Stephen Toulmin's theory of argumentation and discusses progression from novice to expert in terms of Toulmin's analysis. He also considers the relation between vocational education and other practices in the context of the wider civic implications of occupational practice. [source]


CRAS-CBR: Internal control risk assessment system using case-based reasoning

EXPERT SYSTEMS, Issue 1 2004
Sung-Sik Hwang
Abstract: Information technology and the Internet have been major drivers for changes in all aspects of business processes and activities. They have brought major changes to the financial statements audit environment as well, which in turn has required modifications in audit procedures. There exist certain difficulties, however, with current audit procedures especially for the assessment of the level of control risk. This assessment is primarily based on the auditors' professional judgment and experiences, not on objective rules or criteria. To overcome these difficulties, we propose a prototype decision support model named CRAS-CBR using case-based reasoning to support auditors in making their professional judgment on the assessment of the level of control risk of the general accounting system in the manufacturing industry. To validate the performance, we compare our proposed model with benchmark performances in terms of classification accuracy for the level of control risk. Our experimental results show that CRAS-CBR outperforms a statistical model and staff auditor performance in average hit ratio. [source]


Early predictability of the need for tracheotomy after admission to ICU: an observational study

ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 9 2010
D. P. VEELO
Background: The goal of this study was to explore the ability of professional judgment to predict the need for tracheotomy early among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Methods: Prospective study using daily questionnaires among ICU physicians in a mixed medical,surgical ICU. The prediction of tracheotomy was by a visual analogue scale (VAS, from 1 to 10, with 1 representing ,absolutely no need for tracheotomy' and 10 representing ,pertinent need for tracheotomy') during ICU stay until tracheal extubation or tracheotomy. For the purpose of this study, a VAS score ,8 was considered a positive prediction for tracheotomy. Results: A total of 476 questionnaires were retrieved for 75 patients (6.4±5.2 questionnaires per patient), of which 11 patients finally proceeded with a tracheostomy. At first assessment (mean of 2.4±0.8 days after ICU admittance), ICU physicians predicted the need for tracheotomy 3.0 (2.0,6.0) higher VAS points for patients who were finally tracheotomized (P<0.01). Patients with a positive prediction had a 5.4 (1.2,24.1) higher chance of receiving tracheotomy (P=0.03). Considering the median VAS score over a maximum of 10 days before tracheotomy, ICU physicians scored tracheotomized patients significantly higher from day 8 onwards. When comparing ICU physicians, fellows and residents separately, only staff physicians scored a significant difference in the VAS score (P<0.05). Conclusion: ICU physicians are able to differentiate between patients in need for tracheotomy from those who do not, within 2 days from admittance. The closer the time to the actual intervention, the better the physicians are able to predict this decision. [source]


Internal Audit Professionalism and Section 404 Compliance: The View of Chief Audit Executives from Northeast Ohio

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 1 2007
Albert L. Nagy
This study explores the notion that the recently heightened regulation over United States public company reporting limits the amount of professional judgment required by internal auditors, and in the long run may reduce the overall value and professionalism of the internal audit group. Our assessment is based on face-to-face interviews conducted with Chief Audit Executives (CAEs) from 17 publicly listed companies located in Northeast Ohio, United States, and is in general agreement with the extant literature on the topic. We find that despite several short-term benefits from the Section 404 work for the individual auditor (e.g., increased pay and job security), the compliance work may indeed be a threat to the long-term reputation of the internal audit profession. Based on the existing literature and the CAEs' responses, the Section 404 work does appear to be driving the internal audit profession down a new path. [source]


Ethical Issues of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Comparison of Emergency Physician Practices from 1995 to 2007

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 3 2009
Catherine A. Marco MD
Abstract Objectives:, The objectives were to determine current practice among emergency physicians (EPs) regarding the initiation and termination of cardiopulmonary resuscitative (CPR) efforts and to compare responses to those from a similar study performed in 1996. Methods:, This anonymous self-administered survey was mailed to 4,991 randomly selected EPs. Main outcome measures included responses regarding current practices related to advance directives and initiation and termination of resuscitative attempts. Results from 1995 and 2007 surveys were compared, using 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the difference between groups. Results:, Among 928 respondents (18% response rate), most (86%) honor legal advance directives, an increase over 78% reported in 1996 (8% increase, 95% CI = 5% to 11%). Few honor unofficial documents (7%) or verbal reports (12%) of advance directives. Many (58%) make decisions regarding resuscitation because of fear of litigation or criticism. Most respondents (62%) attempt resuscitation in 10% or more of cases of cardiac arrest. A majority (56%) have attempted more than 10 resuscitations in the past 3 years, despite expectations that such efforts would be futile. Factors reported to be "very important" in making resuscitation decisions were advance directives (78%), witnessed arrest (77%), downtime (73%), family wishes (40%), presenting rhythm (38%), age (28%), and prearrest state of health (25%). A significant majority of respondents (80%) indicated that ideally, legal concerns should not influence physician practices regarding resuscitation, but that in the current environment, legal concerns do influence practice (92%). Other than the increase in respondents who honor legal advance directives, these results do not differ substantially from responses in 1996. Conclusions:, Most EPs attempt to resuscitate patients in cardiopulmonary arrest regardless of poor outcomes, except in cases where a legal advance directive is available. Many EPs' decisions regarding resuscitation are based on concerns of litigation and criticism, rather than professional judgment of medical benefit. Most results did not differ significantly from the previous study of 1995, although more physicians honor legal advance directives than previously noted. [source]


Assisted Suicide: Do We Own Our Bodies?

DIALOG, Issue 2 2004
Jarmo Tarkki
Abstract:, The ethics of physician-assisted suicide is explored here in light of classic philosophical discussions of the ownership of one's body plus biblical discussions of the relationship of body and soul. Motives for individual and group suicide are brought to bear on bioethical principles such as that of autonomy. Ethical analysis is here challenged by the case of a 91 year-old woman, Ragnhild, who lived after professional judgments that her life should be ended. [source]


Professional identity as a resource for talk: exploring the mentor,student relationship

NURSING INQUIRY, Issue 4 2008
Pam Shakespeare
This paper discusses a study examining how mentors in nurse education make professional judgments about the clinical competence of their pre-registration nursing students. Interviews were undertaken with nine UK students and 15 mentors, using critical incidents in practice settings as a focus. The study was undertaken for the English National Practice-Based Professional Learning Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. This paper reports on the conversation analytic thread of the work. The mentor role with pre-registration nursing students is not only supportive but involves formal assessment. Central to the relationship is communication. In professional education, communication is seen as a skill to be applied and assessed in practice settings but is also the medium mentors and mentees use to talk about the relationship. Analysis of excerpts of conversation in the interviews shows that episodes of communication are used as topics of conversation to establish professional identity. It also reveals that judgments about the extent of professional capacity of both students and mentors are grounded in everyday behaviours (for example, enthusiasm, indifference and confidence) as well as professional competence. In addition to focusing on clinical issues, mentors can and do use mundane communication as a resource for judgments about competence. [source]