Table 2. Numerical interpretation of terms used to denote probability with no context and in the context of a doctor–patient discussion on the probability of side effects.

Group	No context			In context
%	“Common”	“Uncommon”	“Rare”	“Common”	“Uncommon”	“Rare”
Definition*	1 – <10	0.1 – <1	0.01 – <0.1	1 – <10	0.1 – <1	0.01 – <0.1
Doctors	75	15	5	60	10	5
(Q1; Q3)	(60; 80)	(10; 20)	(3; 10)	(30; 70)	(5; 20)	(1; 5)
Pharmacists	75	20	5	50	10	3
(Q1; Q3)	(60; 80)	(10; 28)	(1; 10)	(20; 75)	(5; 24)	(1; 5)
Lawyers	75	20	10	70	20	5
(Q1; Q3)	(61; 80)	(20; 30)	(5; 10)	(50; 80)	(15; 30)	(5; 10)

^*Definition of terms established by the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, BfArM (10); Q1: first quartile; Q3: third quartile