Erin A Hudson, Marissa Burgermaster, Sophia M Isis, Matthew R Jeans, Sarvenaz Vandyousefi, Matthew J Landry, Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, Joya Chandra, Jaimie Davis
School-based intervention impacts availability of vegetables and beverages in participants' homes
Frontiers in nutrition
doctors patients difficulty inferring predictive value medical test information prevalence disease sensitivity falsepositive rate test previous research established communicating information format human mind adapted tonamely natural frequenciesas compared probabilities boosts accuracy diagnostic inferences study investigated extent inferences improvedbeyond effect natural frequenciesby providing visual aids participants 81 doctors 81 patients made diagnostic inferences three medical tests basis information prevalence disease sensitivity falsepositive rate tests half participants received information natural frequencies half received information probabilities half participants received numerical information half additionally received visual aid representing numerical information addition participants completed numeracy scale study showed three important findings 1 doctors patients made accurate inferences information communicated natural frequencies compared probabilities 2 visual aids boosted accuracy even information provided natural frequencies 3 doctors accurate diagnostic inferences patients though differences accuracy disappeared differences numerical skills controlled findings important implications medical practice suggest suitable ways communicate quantitative medical data