BMJ  2003;327 (27 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7417.0

Individualised risk communication increases screening but not informed choice

Interventions communicating individualised risk to patients lead to an increase in the numbers undergoing screening, but this may not be based on informed choice. In this week's special issue on communicating risks Edwards and colleagues (p 703) present a systematic review on communicating individualised risk and screening choices. Individualised risk interventions included using specific risk estimates based on the individual's own risk factors for a condition (such as age or family history). They found that such interventions lead to increased participation in screening programmes overall but argue that the increased uptake cannot be attributed to informed decision making by people invited to screening.

Related Article

Effects of communicating individual risks in screening programmes: Cochrane systematic review

Adrian Edwards, Silvana Unigwe, Glyn Elwyn, and Kerenza Hood
BMJ 2003 327: 703-709. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]