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Every day, healthcare professionals make decisions that influence patient care, team performance, resource allocation, communication, and clinical outcomes. While we make around 35,000 decisions each day, most happen automatically, allowing us to work efficiently in fast-paced environments. However, this is also where many errors originate, particularly when decisions are complex, time sensitive, or involve multiple stakeholders. Around half of major strategic decisions are considered failures within two years, not because capable people lack expertise, but because decision-making is influenced by predictable patterns of human thinking.

Designed and presented by Dr Mike Conway, a behavioural and social scientist with extensive experience working alongside healthcare organisations across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, this one-hour program takes learners from the science behind decision-making to practical techniques for improving it. Across eight short sections, participants explore dual-process thinking, cognitive biases and heuristics, behavioural science principles, a practical 7-step decision-making framework, the relationship between decisions and outcomes, and practical techniques for making more effective decisions.

Although the principles apply across every profession and area of life, they are especially valuable for healthcare professionals seeking to strengthen judgement, improve collaboration, reduce avoidable errors, and make confident decisions in demanding environments.  

Learning Outcomes

1. Explain how decisions are made, including dual-process thinking and the role of the unconscious mind
2. Recognise common cognitive biases and heuristics that can influence judgement, even among highly experienced professionals
3. Apply behavioural science principles to support more effective decision-making in complex professional environments
4. Use a structured 7-step decision-making framework when approaching higher stakes decisions
5. Evaluate how decision quality influences outcomes and recognise the characteristics of effective and ineffective decision-making
6. Apply practical tools and techniques to make better decisions for themselves, their colleagues, teams, and the people they support.

Details

This is a self-paced online program of approximately 2.5 hours, delivered across eight short sections of around 10 to 15 minutes each. The course is designed to build progressively from foundational concepts to practical application, so participants are encouraged to complete the sections in sequence and, where possible, in a quiet environment that supports focused learning.

The program includes practical exercises that help reinforce key concepts and encourage reflection on how the principles can be applied in everyday professional practice. While the learning is relevant across many industries, healthcare professionals will gain valuable insights into strengthening judgement, improving communication, supporting collaborative decision-making, and navigating complexity with greater confidence. Completion requires participants to work through all eight sections and accompanying exercises. No prior knowledge or prerequisites are required. Having a notebook available is recommended to capture reflections and practical insights throughout the program.  

A certificate of completion will be issued after the successful completion of the 20 question multiple-choice quiz which relates directly to the program's content.

Cost: Please refer to XVenture's website

Disclaimer: Please note, once you click 'Register now' you will be leaving the AMA’s CPD Home website and entering a third-party education provider’s website. If you choose to register for this learning, you will need to provide some of your personal information directly to the third-party education provider. If you have any queries about how third-party education providers use, disclose or store your personal information you should consult their privacy policy. Upon completion, your CPD activity record may take up to 4 weeks to be reflected on your CPD Home Dashboard.