Dafina Petrova|Olga Kostopoulou|Brendan Delaney|Edward T. Cokely|Rocío García?Retamero
Strengths and Gaps in Physicians’ Risk Communication: A Scenario Study of the Influence of Numeracy on Cancer Screening Communication
Universidad de Granada|Imperial College London|Imperial College London|University of Oklahoma|Max Planck Institute for Human Development|Universidad de Granada|Max Planck Institute for Human Development
objective many patients low numeracy impedes understanding important information health eg benefits harms screening investigated whether physicians adapt risk communication accommodate needs patients low numeracy physicians numeracy influences understanding communication screening statistics methods uk family physicians n 151 read description patient seeking advice cancer screening manipulated level numeracy patient low v high v unspecified measured physicians risk communication recommendation patient understanding screening statistics numeracy results consistent best practices family physicians generally preferred use visual aids rather numbers communicating information patient low v high numeracy substantial proportion physicians 44 offered high quality ie complete meaningful risk communication patient often case physicians higher v lower numeracy likely mention mortality rates or143 110 186 harms overdiagnosis or144 105 198 physicians higher numeracy also likely understand increased detection survival rates demonstrate screening effectiveness or161 126 206 conclusions physicians know appropriately tailor risk communication patients low numeracy ie visual aids however physicians low numeracy likely misunderstand risks unintentionally mislead patients communicating incomplete information highquality risk communication shared decision making depend critically factors improve risk literacy physicians