Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2007 Sep-Oct:31 Suppl 1:S47-56.
doi: 10.5555/ajhb.2007.31.supp.S47.

Making numbers matter: present and future research in risk communication

Angela Fagerlin  1 , Peter A Ubel, Dylan M Smith, Brian J Zikmund-Fisher
Affiliations

Making numbers matter: present and future research in risk communication

Angela Fagerlin et al. Am J Health Behav. 2007 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Objective: To summarize existing research on individual numeracy and methods for presenting risk information to patients.

Methods: We selectively retrieved articles from MEDLINE and the Social Sciences Citation Index.

Results: Many Americans have low numeracy skills, a deficit that impedes effective health care. Approaches to risk communication vary in current practice, but how risks are presented can significantly affect both patients' risk perceptions and their knowledge.

Conclusions: Adhering to some basic principles for presenting risk information to patients can improve understanding. However, different risk-communication methods may be needed for individuals with high versus low levels of numeracy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types