Tolerance of uncertainty: A systematic review of health and healthcare-related outcomes
- PMID: 29655876
- DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2018.03.030
Tolerance of uncertainty: A systematic review of health and healthcare-related outcomes
Abstract
Background: Uncertainty tolerance (UT) is thought to be a characteristic of individuals that influences various outcomes related to health, healthcare, and healthcare education. We undertook a systematic literature review to evaluate the state of the evidence on UT and its relationship to these outcomes.
Methods: We conducted electronic and bibliographic searches to identify relevant studies examining associations between UT and health, healthcare, or healthcare education outcomes. We used standardized tools to assess methodological quality and analyzed the major findings of existing studies, which we organized and classified by theme.
Results: Searches yielded 542 potentially relevant articles, of which 67 met inclusion criteria. Existing studies were heterogeneous in focus, setting, and measurement approach, were largely cross-sectional in design, and overall methodological quality was low. UT was associated with various trainee-centered, provider-centered, and patient-centered outcomes which were cognitive, emotional, and behavioral in nature. UT was most consistently associated with emotional well-being.
Conclusions: Uncertainty tolerance is associated with several important trainee-, provider-, and patient-centered outcomes in healthcare and healthcare education. However, low methodological quality, study design limitations, and heterogeneity in the measurement of UT limit strong inferences about its effects, and addressing these problems is a critical need for future research.
Keywords: Ambiguity; Systematic review; Uncertainty.
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
Tolerance of uncertainty: Conceptual analysis, integrative model, and implications for healthcare.Soc Sci Med. 2017 May;180:62-75. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.03.024. Epub 2017 Mar 14. Soc Sci Med. 2017. PMID: 28324792 Review.
-
Moderators uncertainty tolerance (UT) in healthcare: a systematic review.Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2023 Dec;28(5):1409-1440. doi: 10.1007/s10459-023-10215-0. Epub 2023 Apr 25. Adv Health Sci Educ Theory Pract. 2023. PMID: 37097482 Free PMC article.
-
The effectiveness of internet-based e-learning on clinician behavior and patient outcomes: a systematic review protocol.JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2015 Jan;13(1):52-64. doi: 10.11124/jbisrir-2015-1919. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2015. PMID: 26447007
-
Volume and health outcomes: evidence from systematic reviews and from evaluation of Italian hospital data.Epidemiol Prev. 2017 Sep-Dec;41(5-6 (Suppl 2)):1-128. doi: 10.19191/EP17.5-6S2.P001.100. Epidemiol Prev. 2017. PMID: 29205995 English, Italian.
-
Improving uncertainty tolerance in medical students: A scoping review.Med Educ. 2022 Dec;56(12):1163-1173. doi: 10.1111/medu.14873. Epub 2022 Jul 18. Med Educ. 2022. PMID: 35797009 Free PMC article.
Cited by
-
HIV in MOTION: a community of practice on physical rehabilitation for and by people living with HIV and their allies.Front Rehabil Sci. 2023 Oct 6;4:1154692. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2023.1154692. eCollection 2023. Front Rehabil Sci. 2023. PMID: 37869573 Free PMC article.
-
Learning and elucidating the uncertainty in primary care by mapping uncertainty in medicine.J Gen Fam Med. 2023 Jan 26;24(3):201-202. doi: 10.1002/jgf2.607. eCollection 2023 May. J Gen Fam Med. 2023. PMID: 37261052 Free PMC article.
-
The Impact of Communicating Uncertainty on Public Responses to Precision Medicine Research.Ann Behav Med. 2021 Oct 27;55(11):1048-1061. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaab050. Ann Behav Med. 2021. PMID: 34297059 Free PMC article.
-
"With Great Responsibility Comes Great Uncertainty".J Gen Intern Med. 2025 Jan;40(1):54-62. doi: 10.1007/s11606-024-08954-w. Epub 2024 Jul 31. J Gen Intern Med. 2025. PMID: 39085579
-
Communicating Scientific Uncertainty About the COVID-19 Pandemic: Online Experimental Study of an Uncertainty-Normalizing Strategy.J Med Internet Res. 2021 Apr 22;23(4):e27832. doi: 10.2196/27832. J Med Internet Res. 2021. PMID: 33769947 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous