2SJT topic
Clinical Decision-Making
Treatment is not working, a client wants something the evidence does not support, or new information changes the formulation.
Practise Clinical Decision-Making18 scenarios
What makes these scenarios hard
The evidence base and the individual in front of you do not always agree. Protocol fidelity and responsiveness both matter, and the strongest answers usually revise the formulation rather than defend it.
What a strong answer usually does
- Treat non-response as information, and revisit the formulation before changing the model.
- A formulation is a hypothesis, so new information is a reason to update it.
- Decide with the client rather than for them, including whether to stop.
- Stay inside your competence, and be honest with the client about where its edge is.
What the standards say
- HCPC 3.1: practise only within your knowledge and skills
- HCPC 3.3: refer on where care falls outside your scope
- HCPC 1.2: work in partnership with service users
- HCPC 1.4: valid, informed and ongoing consent
Source: HCPC, Standards of conduct, performance and ethics (2024), checked .