Clinical Judgment: A Working Definition for the Rehabilitation Professional

How clinical judgment is used and what the rehabilitation professional understands it to mean is the focus of this article.This article was developed as a result of conversations overheard at the IARP Forensic Conference (Memphis, 2009) where the debate over the definition and role of clinical judgment appears to a continuing "hot" issue.Clinical judgment is not a "lay" term, nor is it intended to be a glib comment thrown out when an expert has no other basis for opinion.Clinical judgment is a term that has a specific meaning, has been published in peer reviewed journals, and has achieved general acceptance in the field of rehabilitation.The professional meaning of clinical judgment is predicated on valid, reliable and accepted assessment methodologies, instruments and background information about the client concerning the medical aspects of disability by a professional who has specialized knowledge, education, training and/or experience.The term "clinical judgment" is often utilized in publications, expert reports, depositions, trial testimonies and posts to various list serves.The focus of this article is to make clear that utilization of clinical judgment is appropriate with the assumed understanding of the accepted definition and the specialized knowledge involved in its utilization.