Presenting risk information to patients is an essential part of clinical encounters. Good risk communication improves patient satisfaction with their care and the decisions they make. In SRH, women frequently need to make decisions based on their perceived risk. Risk perception can be altered by how actual risk is presented to patients.
The Researchers searched online databases using MeSH terms combined with a keyword search for articles relevant to SRH; the search was limited to English.
Personalized risk communication increases knowledge and slightly increases screening tests’ uptake. Decision aids improve a patient’s understanding of the options, create realistic expectations of their benefits and harms, reduce difficulty with decision-making, and increase participation in the process. Descriptive terms such as ‘low risk’ or ‘high risk’ should be quantified as a frequency rather than a percentage. Using a consistent denominator to portray risk is recommended. Using the ‘number needed to treat’ and visual aids puts benefits or risks into perspective. The duration of the risk should be presented.
The study concluded by presenting risk information to patients can be optimized using a number of strategies.
Reference: https://srh.bmj.com/content/42/3/213
