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Describing treatment effects to patients
Annette Moxey1, Dianne O'Connell, Patricia McGettigan
1School of Medical Practice and Population Health, The University of Newcastle, Australia. annette.moxey@newcastle.edu.au
Journal of General Internal Medicine
|December 23, 2003
Summary
Patient decisions are influenced by how information is presented. Framing health information, especially treatment outcomes, impacts choices, with positive frames and relative risks often preferred.
Area of Science:
- Decision Sciences
- Health Communication
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Patient decision-making is complex and can be influenced by various cognitive biases.
- Information framing, the way equivalent data is presented, is a known factor affecting choices.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and analyze the impact of information framing on patient treatment decisions.
- To understand how different presentation formats influence the selection of medical interventions.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive systematic review of published English-language studies was performed.
- Studies involving participant allocation to different information frames were identified through extensive searches.
- Methodological quality was assessed, and relative risks were calculated where feasible.
Main Results:
- Thirty-seven articles comprising 40 studies on treatment, immunization, and health behaviors were analyzed.
- Active treatments and surgery were preferred when outcomes were framed positively (e.g., survival) or using relative risks.
- Framing effects were less pronounced in immunization/health behavior scenarios and in higher-quality studies.
Conclusions:
- Information framing significantly influences patient decisions, with effects varying by scenario, individual characteristics, and study quality.
- Presenting treatment information in multiple ways can offer a balanced perspective, aiding informed patient choices.