Editor—Risk is a crucial part of current medical practice, as clarified in the editorials by Edwards, Godolphin, and Thornton.1-3 It is a subject that we all have to deal with day to day, and knowing that others are grappling with these difficult ideas is refreshing. The debate, however, needs to be widened further.
As medical practitioners we are not alone in facing uncertainty and risk. Everyone involved in decision making faces the same problem. Whether it is the risk posed by an Iraqi regime headed by Saddam Hussein, the likelihood of a large meteorite striking the earth, or the chances of an Intercity 125 crashing, everyone is confronted with uncertainty and risk.
Figure 1.
The debate on risk needs to be taken beyond the confines of medical journals and into the general media, the House of Commons, and school classrooms. Only when the concepts of risk and uncertainty become familiar to the public at large can we as doctors hope to have an informed discussion with people who come to us asking for advice.
Competing interests: None declared.
References
- 1.Edwards A. Communicating risks. BMJ 2003;327: 691-2. (27 September.) [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.Godolphin W. The role of risk communication in shared decision making. BMJ 2003;327: 692-3. (27 September.) [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 3.Thornton H. Patients' understanding of risk. BMJ 2003;327: 693-4. (27 September.) [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]