title: Chances and risks in medical risk communication.
abstract: Communication between physicians and patients in everyday life is marked by a number of disruptive factors. Apart from specific interests, mistakes, and misunderstandings on both sides, there are main factors that contribute to the risk in risk communication. Using the example of mammography screening, the current work demonstrates how the meaning of test results and the informative value of measures taken to reduce risk are often misunderstood. Finally, the current work provides examples of successful risk communication.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoffrage
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Studies, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koller
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003142:Communication; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008327:Mammography; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011336:Probability; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen
keywords: Bayes’ theorem; mammography screening; natural frequencies; probabilities; relative risk reduction; risk communication; survival rates