Death Investigation

The Homicides that Never Were: Cognitive Bias and Misdiagnosis in Death Investigation (Code 82)

Primary Presenter(s)

• 

  Leon Kelly, MD

  El Paso County Coroner/Forensic Pathologist
  El Paso County Coroner's Office
  Colorado Springs, Colorado

Review real-life cases while exploring the role that death investigators and forensic examiners play in identifying and preventing cognitive bias.

Learning Outcome(s). Increased knowledge about:

• how limited or incorrect initial assumptions can result in cognitive biases.
• cognitive bias (in its various forms) and its effect on death investigation.
• practical skills that can prevent cognitive bias from derailing logical evidence evaluation, interpretation, and clinical decision making.