title: The impact of different time frames of risk communication on Type 2 diabetes patients' understanding and memory for risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the impact of communicating risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, using three time frames (1, 5 or 10 years), on Type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients' understanding of risk of CHD/stroke and their memory for these risks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (N = 95) estimated their risk of developing CHD/having a stroke as a result of diabetes, in one of three time frames. Using the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study Risk Engine and the same time frame, patients were then given individualized, objective risk estimates of developing CHD/stroke. Following explanation of these risks, patients' risk understanding was examined by asking them to report again their risk of developing CHD/stroke. Six weeks later we assessed patient memory for these risks by asking them to recall their actual risk estimates for CHD/stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all time frames, we successfully reduced participants' originally inflated risk perceptions of CHD (F(1,92) = 73.01, P < 0.001) and stroke (F(1,91) = 119.05, P < 0.001), although the 10-year risk group was the most resistant to correction for both CHD (F(1,90) = 9.32, P < 0.001) and stroke (F(2,88) = 3.97, P < 0.02). Participants' recall of their stroke risk at 6 weeks regressed towards original, inflated risk perceptions for the 10-year group only (F(4,176) = 4.73, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients' inflated perceptions of CHD/stroke risk can be easily corrected using shorter (1- or 5-year) risk communication time frames.
authors.affiliation: Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust, Northampton, UK. koula.asimakopoulou@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Asimakopoulou
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spimpolo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marsh
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Skinner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000523:psychology*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors