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Intended message versus message received in hypothetical physician risk communications: exploring the gap
Andrea D Gurmankin1, Jonathan Baron, Katrina Armstrong
1Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard School of Public Health, CT, USA. adg11@cornell.edu
Risk Analysis : an Official Publication of the Society for Risk Analysis
|November 26, 2004
Summary
Physician risk communication about cancer shows significant gaps between intended messages and patient understanding. Patients often overestimate their personal cancer risk, impacting medical decisions.
Area of Science:
- Medical Communication
- Health Psychology
- Risk Perception
Background:
- Effective physician risk communication is crucial for informed medical decision-making.
- Understanding patient perception of risk is vital for accurate health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine how different physician risk communication formats influence patient risk perception.
- To identify factors contributing to discrepancies between communicated and perceived cancer risk.
Main Methods:
- 217 subjects completed a web-based questionnaire with hypothetical cancer risk scenarios.
- Scenarios presented risk information verbally, verbally with percentages, or verbally with fractions.
- Participants rated their perceived personal susceptibility to cancer on a 0-100 scale.
Main Results:
- Patient risk perceptions were highly variable across all communication formats.
- Patients frequently overestimated their personal cancer risk compared to stated probabilities.
- Overestimation linked to beliefs about physician minimization, innumeracy, and worry.
Conclusions:
- Significant gaps exist between intended physician risk messages and patient reception.
- Risk communication strategies require refinement to improve patient understanding and reduce distress.
- Findings inform medical decision-making, patient education, and future research in risk communication.