Communication about risk: diversity among primary care professionals

We aimed to identify the important clinical topics and to report current practice of communication about risk in primary care.

We carried out a qualitative study using six semi-structured focus group discussions with primary care professionals. The subjects were 36 primary care professionals from general practice, practice nurse, district nurse, community psychiatric nurse and health visitor disciplines.

All clinical topics were felt to raise issues of effective risk communication. Participants expressed concern about the lack of accessible up-to-date information and the problems of conveying information to patients. They described the circumstances and contexts in which communication varies and is difficult, and identified media and medico-legal influences and professional uncertainty as also contributing to the problems of risk communication. Specific training in risk communication was identified as an important need.

The complexity of risk communication and diversity of influences on it will require wide-ranging interventions in order to address them. Standardized communication may be a difficult goal to attain.