Personality, cognitive, and emotional factors in the emergency department: complementary physicians’ profiles

In the field of medical education, the growing challenges faced by emergency departments have underscored the importance of retaining and recruiting hospital emergency physicians. This study focuses on the role of personality traits, cognitive abilities, and emotional resilience in shaping the decision-making processes of emergency physicians operating under uncertainty. Forty physicians in Italy completed assessments, and cluster analysis revealed two profiles: “Risk-Sensitive Evaluators” (N=23), who exhibited high risk perception (μ=8) and ambiguity anxiety (μ=6i.e., discomfort and stress when facing uncertain or unclear clinical situations), and “Timely Outcome Oriented” (N=13), characterized by low regret (μ=2) and lower risk perception (μ=4). Statistically significant differences emerged between the clusters in risk-taking and cognitive rigidity (p < 0.10). These findings suggest complementary strategies for managing emergency care and highlight the relevance of tailoring training to psychological profiles.