Navigating Medicine’s Uncertainties

This editorial article is grounded in the bedside experience of uncertainty in medicine. It is a narrative, conceptual synthesis drawing extensively on evidence rather than a systematic review. It frames the ubiquity and relevance of uncertainty in medicine, summarizing some existing concepts and frameworks, also drawing from non-medical fields. Ambiguity is distinguished as a subtype of uncertainty, and some of what is known about the subjective experience of uncertainty is presented. This editorial summarizes some of the literature on communicating uncertainty effectively and explores the link between uncertainty and diagnostic reasoning and cognitive biases. It concludes with suggestions and practical tips for normalizing and grappling with this constant in our work lives.