Decision fatigue, defined as the deterioration in the quality of choices made after a long period of decision-making, significantly influences clinical practice and can lead to bias in prescriptions made at the end of the day.

noli's read

Decision fatigue is a well-documented concept in cognitive psychology, suggesting that our ability to make optimal decisions is depleted like a limited resource over time. Recent literature reviews, particularly in the context of healthcare, confirm that health professionals may indeed adopt simplification strategies, such as default choices or decision avoidance, when faced with a high cognitive load. While the phenomenon is robust in laboratory settings, its actual magnitude in complex clinical situations is still subject to debate, with some studies highlighting that expertise helps to mitigate this effect. Evidence from meta-analyses in social psychology (e.g., Hagger et al.) supports the existence of the phenomenon, although the strength of the effect is sometimes nuanced by subsequent research on motivation. The post accurately highlights a relevant cognitive bias without presenting decision fatigue as an inevitability, but rather as an environmental risk factor. The approach is consistent with current research on the management of mental energy in the workplace.

the sources

No named source held this one up — that absence is part of the verdict.