Table 1.
Expected likelihood of minor (dizziness) and severe (kidney failure) side‐effects from an imagined new drug using the EC recommended combined descriptors
| Current guidelines | Expectancy | Mild, n (%) | Severe, n (%) | Total, n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very common (more than 1 in 10) | Very likely | 115 (22.7) | 106 (21.3) | 221 (22.0) |
| Likely | 152 (30.0) | 148 (29.8) | 300 (29.9) | |
| About as likely as not | 118 (23.3) | 128 (25.8) | 246 (24.6) | |
| Unlikely | 91 (18.0) | 79 (15.9) | 170 (16.9) | |
| Very unlikely | 20 (4.0) | 20 (4.0) | 40 (4.0) | |
| Don't know | 10 (2.0) | 16 (3.2) | 26 (2.6) | |
| Chi‐square test | χ2=1.443, P=.837 | |||
| Common (up to 1 in 10) | Very likely | 58 (11.5) | 63 (12.7) | 121 (12.1) |
| Likely | 175 (34.6) | 155 (31.2) | 330 (32.9) | |
| About as likely as not | 122 (24.1) | 132 (26.6) | 254 (25.3) | |
| Unlikely | 121 (23.9) | 114 (22.9) | 235 (23.4) | |
| Very unlikely | 20 (4.0) | 19 (3.8) | 39 (3.9) | |
| Don't know | 10 (2.0) | 14 (2.8) | 24 (2.4) | |
| Chi‐square test | χ2=1.874, P=.759 | |||
| Uncommon (up to 1 in 100) | Very likely | 7 (1.4) | 10 (2.0) | 17 (1.7) |
| Likely | 32 (6.3) | 32 (6.4) | 64 (6.4) | |
| About as likely as not | 92 (18.2) | 103 (20.7) | 195 (19.4) | |
| Unlikely | 215 (42.5) | 217 (43.7) | 432 (43.1) | |
| Very unlikely | 154 (30.4) | 121 (24.3) | 275 (27.4) | |
| Don't know | 6 (1.2) | 14 (2.8) | 20 (2.0) | |
| Chi‐square test | χ2=4.827, P=.306 | |||
| Rare (up to 1 in 1000) | Very likely | 3 (0.6) | 7 (1.4) | 10 (1.0) |
| Likely | 28 (5.5) | 20 (4.0) | 48 (4.8) | |
| About as likely as not | 56 (11.1) | 72 (14.5) | 128 (12.8) | |
| Unlikely | 136 (26.9) | 169 (34.0) | 305 (30.4) | |
| Very unlikely | 278 (54.9) | 218 (43.9) | 496 (49.5) | |
| Don't know | 5 (1.0) | 11 (2.2) | 16 (1.6) | |
| Chi‐square test | a=15.452, P=.003 | |||
| Very Rare (up to 1 in 10 000) | Very likely | 5 (1.0) | 6 (1.2) | 11 (1.1) |
| Likely | 15 (3.0) | 15 (3.0) | 30 (3.0) | |
| About as likely as not | 38 (7.5) | 51 (10.3) | 89 (8.9) | |
| Unlikely | 65 (12.8) | 70 (14.1) | 135 (13.5) | |
| Very unlikely | 375 (74.1) | 342 (68.8) | 717 (71.5) | |
| Don't know | 8 (1.6) | 13 (2.6) | 21 (2.1) | |
| Chi‐square test | χ2=3.495, P=.481 | |||
Chi‐square analyses did not include participants who answered “Don't know”.
a
One cell had an expected cell count of less than 5 so Fisher's exact was used instead.