The effect of numerical statements of risk on trust and comfort with hypothetical physician risk communication

被引:116
作者
Gurmankin, AD
Baron, J
Annstrong, K
机构
[1] Univ Penn, Sch Med, Ctr Clin Epidemiol & Biostat, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
[2] Univ Penn, Sch Med, Div Gen Internal Med, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
[3] Univ Penn, Leonard Davis Inst Hlth Econ, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
[4] Univ Penn, Dept Psychol, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
[5] Rutgers State Univ, Inst Hlth Hlth Care Policy & Aging Res, Piscataway, NJ 08855 USA
关键词
risk communication; trust; numeracy;
D O I
10.1177/0272989X04265482
中图分类号
R19 [保健组织与事业(卫生事业管理)];
学科分类号
摘要
Objective. To contribute to the debate about whether numeric statements of risk ought to be included in risk communications. Design. Subjects (n = 115) completed a questionnaire involving a physician risk communication and 4 scenarios, each of which described a patient with symptoms and signs potentially suggestive of cancer. Each scenario was presented in 3 risk communication versions (a verbal version and 2 numeric versions) in a within-subject 4 x 3 design. Subjects rated their trust in and comfort with the information and their belief that the physician distorted their risk level. Results. Subjects were significantly more trusting of (t = 4.0, P < 0.001) and comfortable with (t = 3.4, P = 0,001) the risk information, less likely to believe that the physician minimized the risk in the numeric versions than verbal versions (t = 4.3, P < 0.0001), and just as likely to believe that the physician exaggerated the risk in the 2 versions (P = 0.588). Conclusions. Including a numeric statement of risk in a risk communication can increase trust and belief in and comfort with the risk information.
引用
收藏
页码:265 / 271
页数:7
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