PLOS ONE: The Representation of Risk in Routine Medical Experience: What Actions for Contemporary Health Policy?

PLOS ONE: The Representation of Risk in Routine Medical Experience: What Actions for Contemporary Health Policy?

Introduction

Over the past two decades, there has been increasing recognition that people both want and need to be given accurate and understandable information about health [1]–[2]. In particular, people need to be told about the risks and benefits of their treatments in order to make informed decisions and effective choices [2]. This is a cornerstone of the philosophy of self-care and is a key element in current healthcare policy in the US and in many European countries [3].
In line with this, there is evidence that the comprehension of appropriate information about illnesses and treatments, including risk and side effects, can have beneficial effects on patients’ satisfaction and on important health outcomes [4]. Against this background, it is questionable whether people are able to be active and informed about risks and to take autonomous choices about their treatment. Indeed, people may not always be well equipped, either cognitively or emotionally, to understand, retain and use information effectively [5]. Often, provision of information on medicines does not always have beneficial effects and may even have unwanted or harmful effects on health [6]–[7]. In particular, informing people about the risks and benefits of possible treatments has become a major challenge for healthcare providers and general practitioners (GP). This is because the information is often complex, in that it can be ambiguous, incomplete, uncertain and unstable......