Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no context
Abstract Introduction Medical professionals often use verbal phrases to communicate uncertainties and certainties with their patients and the general public. Objectives This study aimed to investigate factors that can influence people’s interpretation of probability phrases of certainty and uncertai...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | BMC Primary Care |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02687-9 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832585503658999808 |
|---|---|
| author | Yiyun Shou Lok Him Lee Joey Elizabeth Yeo Michael Smithson |
| author_facet | Yiyun Shou Lok Him Lee Joey Elizabeth Yeo Michael Smithson |
| author_sort | Yiyun Shou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Medical professionals often use verbal phrases to communicate uncertainties and certainties with their patients and the general public. Objectives This study aimed to investigate factors that can influence people’s interpretation of probability phrases of certainty and uncertainty communicated by doctors in health and medical settings. Methods An experimental study with a randomized factorial design was conducted to examine both context-related factors and individual difference factors on participants’ interpretation across directions of phrases and frames of the context. Results Context significantly influenced participants’ interpretation of probability phrases regardless of their level of certainty. Participants’ self-reported prior beliefs were the main driver of this context effect. When participants were in a state of uncertainty, their reliance on experts significantly reduced the prior beliefs’ effect. Finally, refuting probability phrases might provide more reassurance than affirming phrases. Conclusion People may perceive the outcomes communicated by doctors differently from what the doctors intend to convey, depending on their prior beliefs, reliance on doctors and the direction of phrases. When communicating uncertainties and certainties with patients and general public, it is important for medical professionals to understand audience’s prior experiences, and to foster medical trust and audience’s reliance on medical professionals to reduce bias in clinical risk communication. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-840c0aa05ee44777beabcdefc166158e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-4553 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Primary Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-840c0aa05ee44777beabcdefc166158e2025-01-26T12:45:53ZengBMCBMC Primary Care2731-45532025-01-0126111010.1186/s12875-024-02687-9Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no contextYiyun Shou0Lok Him Lee1Joey Elizabeth Yeo2Michael Smithson3Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health SystemSchool of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National UniversitySaw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health SystemSchool of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National UniversityAbstract Introduction Medical professionals often use verbal phrases to communicate uncertainties and certainties with their patients and the general public. Objectives This study aimed to investigate factors that can influence people’s interpretation of probability phrases of certainty and uncertainty communicated by doctors in health and medical settings. Methods An experimental study with a randomized factorial design was conducted to examine both context-related factors and individual difference factors on participants’ interpretation across directions of phrases and frames of the context. Results Context significantly influenced participants’ interpretation of probability phrases regardless of their level of certainty. Participants’ self-reported prior beliefs were the main driver of this context effect. When participants were in a state of uncertainty, their reliance on experts significantly reduced the prior beliefs’ effect. Finally, refuting probability phrases might provide more reassurance than affirming phrases. Conclusion People may perceive the outcomes communicated by doctors differently from what the doctors intend to convey, depending on their prior beliefs, reliance on doctors and the direction of phrases. When communicating uncertainties and certainties with patients and general public, it is important for medical professionals to understand audience’s prior experiences, and to foster medical trust and audience’s reliance on medical professionals to reduce bias in clinical risk communication.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02687-9Health and clinical communicationCertaintyProbability phrases |
| spellingShingle | Yiyun Shou Lok Him Lee Joey Elizabeth Yeo Michael Smithson Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no context BMC Primary Care Health and clinical communication Certainty Probability phrases |
| title | Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no context |
| title_full | Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no context |
| title_fullStr | Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no context |
| title_full_unstemmed | Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no context |
| title_short | Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no context |
| title_sort | communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases comparing health contexts with no context |
| topic | Health and clinical communication Certainty Probability phrases |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-024-02687-9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yiyunshou communicatingcertaintyviaverbalprobabilityphrasescomparinghealthcontextswithnocontext AT lokhimlee communicatingcertaintyviaverbalprobabilityphrasescomparinghealthcontextswithnocontext AT joeyelizabethyeo communicatingcertaintyviaverbalprobabilityphrasescomparinghealthcontextswithnocontext AT michaelsmithson communicatingcertaintyviaverbalprobabilityphrasescomparinghealthcontextswithnocontext |