Numeracy levels among both patients and clinicians vary widely, yet numbers are embedded in nearly every health decision—from lab results to risk probabilities to treatment outcomes. The challenge isn’t just about making numbers accessible, but about making them meaningful for the specific decisions people face.
Drawing from the Making Numbers Meaningful systematic review, which identified over 1,100 findings on probability communication, this session will explore what research tells us about how different ways of presenting numbers influence patient understanding, perceptions, and choices. Rather than advocating for a universal best practice, Brian Zikmund-Fisher will highlight the trade-offs between different numerical formats and why effective number communication depends on the audience’s needs and the task at hand.
Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of why accuracy alone isn’t enough and how they can make numbers more meaningful in different situations and for diverse patient populations.
Learning Objectives:
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Consider how to prioritize their number communication goals based on the context and audience needs.
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Explain at least one key finding from the Making Numbers Meaningful systematic review and its implications for real-world health communication.
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Identify at least two approaches to communicating health numbers that support particular outcomes such as categorization or increased behavioral intentions.
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Recognize at least one situation in which using a particular number communication format improves one outcome but makes another worse.