Table 2.

Fagerlin et al.’s [14] 10 recommendations for effective communication of risk

• Use plain language to make written and verbal materials more understandable

• Present data using absolute risks

• Present information in pictographs if you are going to include graphs

• Present data using frequencies

• Use an incremental risk format to highlight how treatment changes risks from preexisting baseline levels

• Be aware that the order in which risks and benefits are presented can affect risk perceptions

• Consider using summary tables that include all of the risks and benefits for each treatment option

• Recognize that comparative risk information (e.g., what the average person’s risk is) is persuasive and not just informative

• Consider presenting only the information that is most critical to the patients’ decision making, even at the expense of completeness

• Repeatedly draw patients’ attention to the time interval over which a risk occurs