Table 1.

Preliminary recommendations for presenting consumer summaries online

Recommendations
1	Consider existing standards for clear presentation of risk information (eg, [16])
2	Pilot test individual summaries on the target audience
3	Provide links to definitions for technical terms
4	Maintain consistent formatting between summaries
5	Consider providing information-rich displays (eg, charts and graphs) in addition to clear language
6	Consider the readability, or in cases where technical terms are unavoidable, the lexical density of the language
7	Indicate level of evidence supporting risk estimates (eg, gold and silver)
8	Provide links to more detailed information
9	Prominently display information on the provider and timeliness of the information
10	Keep summaries short (at approximately 400 words) and provide short bottom-line statements of key messages