British Medical Journal
23 June 2012 (Vol 344, Issue 7862)
http://www.bmj.com/content/344/7862

Clinical Review
Communicating risk
Haroon Ahmed
BMJ 2012;344:e3996 (Published 18 June 2012)

Summary points
– Risk communication is the open two way exchange of information and opinion about harms and benefits; it aims to improve understanding of risk and promote better decisions about clinical management

– Strong evidence suggests that the format in which risk information is presented affects patients’ understanding and perception of risk

– There is emerging evidence that effective risk communication can lead to more informed decision making in screening

– Decision aids can be an effective adjunct to risk communication and can improve knowledge, awareness, and decision making

– The presentation of data uncertainty is one of the most difficult aspects of risk communication