Chances and risks in medical risk communication

Abstract

Communication between physicians and patients in everyday life is marked by a number of disruptive factors. Apart from specific interests, mistakes, and misunderstandings on both sides, there are main factors that contribute to the risk in risk communication. Using the example of mammography screening, the current work demonstrates how the meaning of test results and the informative value of measures taken to reduce risk are often misunderstood. Finally, the current work provides examples of successful risk communication.

Keywords

• risk communication
• mammography screening
• Bayes’ theorem
• probabilities
• natural frequencies
• relative risk reduction
• survival rates