Imprecision and Preferences in Interpretation of Verbal Probabilities in Health: a Systematic Review.

Katerina Andreadis, Ethan Chan, Minha Park, Natalie C Benda, Mohit M Sharma, Michelle Demetres, Diana Delgado, Elizabeth Sigworth, Qingxia Chen, Andrew Liu, Lisa Grossman Liu, Marianne Sharko, Brian J Zikmund-Fisher, Jessica S Ancker

December 2021 J Gen Intern Med

Synopsis of Social media discussions

The discussions frequently refer to the variability in patient understanding of words like 'rare' or 'common,' with examples such as patients thinking 'rare' means 9-10%, which underscores the need for numerical clarification. The tone is analytical and emphasizes practical implications, reflecting significant scholarly interest and the potential influence on healthcare communication strategies.

A
Agreement
 Moderate agreement

Most discussions recognize the variability in how patients interpret verbal risk terms and agree on the importance of clarifying these terms with numerical data.

I
Interest
 High level of interest

The posts display high interest, highlighting key findings and emphasizing the relevance of understanding patient perceptions and improving communication.

E
Engagement
 High engagement

Numerous posts cite specific studies, mention recommendations for better practices, and include detailed insights, indicating deep engagement with the content.

I
Impact
 Moderate level of impact

The discussions suggest meaningful implications for patient education and risk communication, though mostly at an academic or clinical level rather than widespread change.

Social Mentions

YouTube

2 Videos

Twitter

25 Posts

Metrics

Video Views

308

Total Likes

78

Extended Reach

78,278

Social Features

27

Timeline: Posts about article

Top Social Media Posts

Posts referencing the article

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Understanding Variability in Verbal Risk Interpretation in Healthcare

Understanding Variability in Verbal Risk Interpretation in Healthcare

This video discusses the imprecision and individual preferences in interpreting verbal risk terms like 'rare' or 'common' in health communications. It highlights the importance of using numerical data alongside verbal labels to improve patient understanding.

Carlos Martins (MGFamiliar)

April 10, 2024

0 views

  • にゃんでもにゃ医
    @lE9BrvyUwLLVZIE (Twitter)

    医学的コミュニケーションにおいて、患者は稀である(rare)やよくある(common)といった単語を聞いたときに何%くらいと解釈しているのか、またそういった曖昧な説明と具体的な数字での説明のどちらを好むかを調べた研究のSRで、 https://t.co/UiSfnDxjJL
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    July 21, 2023

    1

  • W. Scott Richardson
    @3owllearning (Twitter)

    RT @GuyattGH: #Systematicreview: #patients have widely variable interpretation of verbal statements of probability. Want patients to unders…
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    March 7, 2022

    15

  • Shibata Masashi@GP×EBM
    @EbmShibanyan (Twitter)

    RT @GuyattGH: #Systematicreview: #patients have widely variable interpretation of verbal statements of probability. Want patients to unders…
    view full post

    March 7, 2022

    15

  • Seba GZ, MD, MSc
    @sebagz1 (Twitter)

    RT @GuyattGH: #Systematicreview: #patients have widely variable interpretation of verbal statements of probability. Want patients to unders…
    view full post

    March 7, 2022

    15

  • Gordon H. Guyatt
    @GuyattGH (Twitter)

    #Systematicreview: #patients have widely variable interpretation of verbal statements of probability. Want patients to understand, use numbers – as good decision aids, accompanied by pictograms, do. https://t.co/33RDFCc4En https://t.co/BJvqJmM5BM https://t.co/nEwvN0MFxE https://t.co/wPdJBMtUL0
    view full post

    March 7, 2022

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    15

  • D
    @DetchouDon (Twitter)

    RT @NRM_MD: How we discuss the probability of an outcome is important. This is a nice summary, and analysis, of 33 papers on how perspectiv…
    view full post

    March 5, 2022

    1

  • Neil R. Malhotra MD, FAANS
    @NRM_MD (Twitter)

    How we discuss the probability of an outcome is important. This is a nice summary, and analysis, of 33 papers on how perspectives differ on the meaning of word like “rare” and “common”, among other descriptors. The tables are parti…https://t.co/E2ueU6FxOP https://t.co/myANdsZ2Yl
    view full post

    March 5, 2022

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  • Mark A. MacLean, MD, MSc, FRCSC
    @MarkMaclean10 (Twitter)

    Perceptions of risk probabilities: Patients typically *overestimate* compared to the way probabilities are presented for medication risk labeling purposes Maybe we should use absolute numbers? Describe how likely, instead of unlikely? https://t.co/YLnjhYTH4X #medtwitter
    view full post

    March 3, 2022

  • Mohit Sharma
    @Sharma_MM92 (Twitter)

    RT @jsancker: Did you know that when patients hear about a "rare" side effect, they think it will affect 10% of people? Learn about how peo…
    view full post

    December 5, 2021

    6

  • Evan Orenstein
    @evan_orenstein (Twitter)

    RT @jsancker: Did you know that when patients hear about a "rare" side effect, they think it will affect 10% of people? Learn about how peo…
    view full post

    December 5, 2021

    6

  • Dr Su Golder
    @SuGolder (Twitter)

    RT @jsancker: Did you know that when patients hear about a "rare" side effect, they think it will affect 10% of people? Learn about how peo…
    view full post

    December 5, 2021

    6

  • Dr. Laurie Novak
    @laurielovett (Twitter)

    RT @jsancker: Did you know that when patients hear about a "rare" side effect, they think it will affect 10% of people? Learn about how peo…
    view full post

    December 5, 2021

    6

  • Cathy McHale
    @Cathymch7 (Twitter)

    Avoiding numeric information to describe risks may not match patient preferences, pts interpret verbal risk terms in a highly variable way. https://t.co/mCjnISd42n
    view full post

    December 4, 2021

  • SystematicReviewBot
    @EvidenceRobot (Twitter)

    RT @jsancker: Did you know that when patients hear about a "rare" side effect, they think it will affect 10% of people? Learn about how peo…
    view full post

    December 4, 2021

    6

  • Jessica S Ancker
    @jsancker (Twitter)

    Did you know that when patients hear about a "rare" side effect, they think it will affect 10% of people? Learn about how people interpret "rare," "common," and other verbal probability terms in our systematic review just published in @JournalGIM. https://t.co/TsINsIpvqn
    view full post

    December 4, 2021

    22

    6

  • PublicHealthMaps
    @PublicHealthMap (Twitter)

    RT @jsancker: A highlight from yesterday: My @WCMPopHealthSci student Katerina Andreadis knocked it out of the park in her first AMIA talk!…
    view full post

    November 3, 2021

    1

  • Jessica S Ancker
    @jsancker (Twitter)

    A highlight from yesterday: My @WCMPopHealthSci student Katerina Andreadis knocked it out of the park in her first AMIA talk! Our systematic review on patient interpretation of risk terms like “rare” and “common” is open access in JGIM. https://t.co/isTP7BHwQ5. #AMIA2021 https://t.co/MEyRndrg9B
    view full post

    November 3, 2021

    14

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  • PublicHealthMaps
    @PublicHealthMap (Twitter)

    RT @jsancker: Did you know that when you call a side effect “rare,” patients think it will happen in 9% of cases?? Find out how patients in…
    view full post

    November 2, 2021

    1

  • Jessica S Ancker
    @jsancker (Twitter)

    Did you know that when you call a side effect “rare,” patients think it will happen in 9% of cases?? Find out how patients interpret so-called verbal probabilities from my student Katerina Andreadis in session S55 this morning at #AMIA2021 https://t.co/isTP7BHwQ5
    view full post

    November 2, 2021

    9

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  • Dana Alsugeir | دانه الصقير
    @DanaAlSugeir (Twitter)

    RT @JournalGIM: How do patients interpret terms such as "rare" or "common"? You might be surprised by the findings! Read this #systematicre…
    view full post

    August 23, 2021

    2

  • Weill Cornell Medicine Population Health Sciences
    @WCMPopHealthSci (Twitter)

    RT @JournalGIM: How do patients interpret terms such as "rare" or "common"? You might be surprised by the findings! Read this #systematicre…
    view full post

    August 23, 2021

    2

  • JGIM Journal of General Internal Medicine
    @JournalGIM (Twitter)

    How do patients interpret terms such as "rare" or "common"? You might be surprised by the findings! Read this #systematicreview to find out more about patient interpretation and preferences! #riskcommunication #healthliteracy @WCMPopHealthSci https://t.co/iUaFbdimKq https://t.co/IiGrjJzztP
    view full post

    August 23, 2021

    1

    2

  • JGIM Journal of General Internal Medicine
    @JournalGIM (Twitter)

    Imprecision and Preferences in Interpretation of Verbal Probabilities in Health: a Systematic Review https://t.co/OuAPNSiROm
    view full post

    August 11, 2021

  • SystematicReviewBot
    @EvidenceRobot (Twitter)

    RT @HealthLitUpdate: Imprecision and Preferences in Interpretation of Verbal Probabilities in Health: a Systematic Review https://t.co/6I4v…
    view full post

    August 7, 2021

    1

  • HealthLiteracyUpdate
    @HealthLitUpdate (Twitter)

    Imprecision and Preferences in Interpretation of Verbal Probabilities in Health: a Systematic Review https://t.co/6I4vt50gN2 https://t.co/3LFqfprJVg
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    August 7, 2021

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Abstract Synopsis

  • The review found that people's understanding of verbal risk words like "rare" or "common" varies a lot, with interpretations ranging widely and often not matching official standards.
  • Many patients prefer receiving numerical risk information, either by itself or alongside verbal labels, rather than just words.
  • Overall, health providers should consider that relying solely on verbal terms can be confusing, and patients' interpretations of these words are highly inconsistent, so including clear numbers may improve understanding.]