Collective Intelligence

© UKN

Collective intelligence refers to the phenomenon where groups, by pooling individual judgments, often make better decisions than individuals alone. Our studies show that aggregating independent opinions,such as in medical diagnosis or antibiotic prescribing, can lead to greater accuracy and better compliance with clinical guidelines. Especially in fast-paced, complex clinical environments, harnessing collective intelligence can help reduce errors and optimize patient care. These findings highlight the potential of team-based and “wisdom of crowds” approaches in advancing healthcare decision-making.

Scientific writings

  • Blanchard, M. D., Herzog, S. M., Kämmer, J. E., Zöller, N., Kostopoulou, O., & Kurvers, R. H. J. M. (2024). Collective intelligence increases diagnostic accuracy in a general practice setting. Medical Decision Making, 44(4), 451–462. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272989X241241001

  • Kämmer, J. E., Hautz, W. E., Herzog, S. M., Kunina-Habenicht, O., & Kurvers, R. H. J. M. (2017). The potential of collective intelligence in emergency medicine: Pooling medical students’ independent decisions improves diagnostic performance. Medical Decision Making, 37(6), 715–724. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272989X17696998

  • Krockow, E. M., Kurvers, R. H. J. M., Herzog, S. M., Kämmer, J. E., Hamilton, R. A., Thilly, N., Macheda, G., & Pulcini, C. (2020). Harnessing the wisdom of crowds can improve guideline compliance of antibiotic prescribers and support antimicrobial stewardship. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 18782. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-75063-z