Executive Summary
Why this matters
Communicating statistics on risk is an important part of patient information But, 61% of people aged 16-65 are unable to understand and use health information if numeracy skills are required[1]. As information producers, our job is to help people feel confident in making decisions about their health.
Numbers not words
- Interpretation of words like rare and common varies enormously. Always use a statistic such as 1 in 100 people alongside words like rare or common.
- Use natural numbers rather than percentages, for example 10 in 100, rather than 10%.
Use absolute risk rather than relative risk
The absolute risk of an event increases from 1 in 100 to 2 in 100, but the relative risk of the event doubles. Using relative risk in isolation can be misleading.
Illustrating risk
- A great way to improve users’ understanding of risk and statistics is to use visual aids.
- Using a mix of numerical and pictorial formats to communicate risk is helpful.
- Visual displays may be most helpful for giving people an overall pattern, whereas actual
numbers can be better for communicating detail.
Perceptions of risk
- Framing – describing something in a positive or negative way – can affect perception of risk.
Consider using both positive and negative framing, i.e. chance of survival and chance of death. - Adding some context to your statistics can make them more meaningful.
Explaining uncertainty
- Communicate the uncertainty of data.
[1]. Defining and describing the mismatch between population health literacy and numeracy and health system complexity’. Rowlands G, Protheroe J, Winkley J, Seed PT, Richardson M, Rudd R. (Submitted for publication)