The following is a summary of “Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no context,” published in the January 2025 issue of Primary Care by Shou et al.
Medical professionals use phrases to convey certainty and uncertainty to patients and the public.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study on factors shaping interpretations of certainty phrases in medical contexts. Context and trust were key influences.
They conducted an experimental study using a randomized factorial design to assess context-related and individual difference factors on phrase interpretation across directions and frames.
The results showed that context influenced interpretations of probability phrases regardless of certainty levels. Self-reported prior beliefs drove this effect, but uncertainty reduced their impact when participants relied on experts. Refuting phrases reassured more than affirming ones.
Investigators found that prior beliefs, trust, and phrase direction shaped how people perceived doctors’ messages. Fostering trust and understanding prior experiences reduced bias in risk communication.
Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-024-02687-9
