Testing Numeric Formats for Presenting Data About Treatment Benefits and Harms

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Risk Communication
• Interventions: Other: Presentation of drug efficacy and side effect data

• Registration Number: NCT00950014
• Lead Sponsor: White River Junction Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to test comprehension of five numeric formats used to present data about treatment benefits and harms.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2009-07
• Study First Submitted: 2009-07-30
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-07-30
• Study First Posted: 2009-07-31
• Study Start: 2009-08
• Primary Completion: 2009-09
• Study Completion: 2009-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2010-04-08
• Last Update Posted: 2010-04-09

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 2944

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Fixed frequency format only	Presentation of drug efficacy and side effect data	Numbers are presented in fixed frequency format only (5 out of 1000, 0.6 out of 1000). Denominators remains the same for each number.
Variable frequency format	Presentation of drug efficacy and side effect data	Frequency denominators are adjusted to keep the numerator greater than 1, so they may change throughout the survey (e.g., 6 out of 1000, 42 out of 100)
Percentage format only	Presentation of drug efficacy and side effect data	Numbers are presented in percentage format (e.g., 35%, 0.2%) only.
Fixed combination format	Presentation of drug efficacy and side effect data	Numbers are presented with both percentages and frequencies, and frequency denominators remain fixed (e.g., _ out of 1000).
Variable combination format	Presentation of drug efficacy and side effect data	Numbers are presented with both percentages and frequencies, but frequency denominators may vary (e.g., _ out of 1000, _ out of 100).

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Comprehension questions (e.g., overall direction of effect and specific numeric data)	0 weeks (assessed during intervention)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Risk perceptions (e.g., how big or small is the benefit)and preferences (e.g., did the box help subjects understand the benefits) assessed via Internet surveys.	0 weeks (assessed during intervention)