Communicating clinical trial outcomes: Effects of presentation method on physicians’ evaluations of new treatments
Physicians expect a treatment to be more effective when its clinical outcomes are described as relative rather than as absolute risk reductions. We examined whether effects of presentation method (relative vs. absolute risk reduction) remain when physicians are provided the baseline risk information...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2013-01-01
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| Series: | Judgment and Decision Making |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500004472/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797701680619323392 |
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| author | Francesco Marcatto Jonathan J. Rolison Donatella Ferrante |
| author_facet | Francesco Marcatto Jonathan J. Rolison Donatella Ferrante |
| author_sort | Francesco Marcatto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Physicians expect a treatment to be more effective when its clinical outcomes are described as relative rather than as absolute risk reductions. We examined whether effects of presentation method (relative vs. absolute risk reduction) remain when physicians are provided the baseline risk information, a vital piece of statistical information omitted in previous studies. Using a between-subjects design, ninety five physicians were presented the risk reduction associated with a fictitious treatment for hypertension either as an absolute risk reduction or as a relative risk reduction, with or without including baseline risk information. Physicians reported that the treatment would be more effective and that they would be more willing to prescribe it when its risk reduction was presented to them in relative rather than in absolute terms. The relative risk reduction was perceived as more effective than absolute risk reduction even when the baseline risk information was explicitly reported. We recommend that information about absolute risk reduction be made available to physicians in the reporting of clinical outcomes. Moreover, health professionals should be cognizant of the potential biasing effects of risk information presented in relative risk terms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:40:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9930ddc3434b46ba8ce85eeacf968c75 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1930-2975 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:40:11Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Judgment and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj.art-9930ddc3434b46ba8ce85eeacf968c752023-09-03T09:45:49ZengCambridge University PressJudgment and Decision Making1930-29752013-01-018293310.1017/S1930297500004472Communicating clinical trial outcomes: Effects of presentation method on physicians’ evaluations of new treatmentsFrancesco Marcatto0Jonathan J. Rolison1Donatella Ferrante2Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Weiss 21, 34138, Trieste, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast, UKDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, ItalyPhysicians expect a treatment to be more effective when its clinical outcomes are described as relative rather than as absolute risk reductions. We examined whether effects of presentation method (relative vs. absolute risk reduction) remain when physicians are provided the baseline risk information, a vital piece of statistical information omitted in previous studies. Using a between-subjects design, ninety five physicians were presented the risk reduction associated with a fictitious treatment for hypertension either as an absolute risk reduction or as a relative risk reduction, with or without including baseline risk information. Physicians reported that the treatment would be more effective and that they would be more willing to prescribe it when its risk reduction was presented to them in relative rather than in absolute terms. The relative risk reduction was perceived as more effective than absolute risk reduction even when the baseline risk information was explicitly reported. We recommend that information about absolute risk reduction be made available to physicians in the reporting of clinical outcomes. Moreover, health professionals should be cognizant of the potential biasing effects of risk information presented in relative risk terms.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500004472/type/journal_articlerelative riskabsolute riskbaseline riskrisk communicationpresentation format |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Marcatto Jonathan J. Rolison Donatella Ferrante Communicating clinical trial outcomes: Effects of presentation method on physicians’ evaluations of new treatments Judgment and Decision Making relative risk absolute risk baseline risk risk communication presentation format |
| title | Communicating clinical trial outcomes: Effects of presentation method on physicians’ evaluations of new treatments |
| title_full | Communicating clinical trial outcomes: Effects of presentation method on physicians’ evaluations of new treatments |
| title_fullStr | Communicating clinical trial outcomes: Effects of presentation method on physicians’ evaluations of new treatments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Communicating clinical trial outcomes: Effects of presentation method on physicians’ evaluations of new treatments |
| title_short | Communicating clinical trial outcomes: Effects of presentation method on physicians’ evaluations of new treatments |
| title_sort | communicating clinical trial outcomes effects of presentation method on physicians evaluations of new treatments |
| topic | relative risk absolute risk baseline risk risk communication presentation format |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500004472/type/journal_article |
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