Clear Communication: Address Both the Risks and the Benefits

CDC's Clear Communication Index is a set of research-based criteria for developing and assessing public health communication products. One criterion asks: Does the material address both the risks and the benefits of the recommended behaviors?

Why it matters

People who aren't experts may see risks and benefits differently from public health professionals, clinicians or statisticians. To make informed decisions, they need to understand both the risks — perceived and actual — and the benefits — perceived and actual — of behaviors, treatments and preventive measures.

Example: smoking

A message can acknowledge a perceived benefit while stating the actual risk: smoking may feel relaxing and stress-relieving, but it harms smokers and the people around them — and damages nearly every organ in the body.

Example: prostate cancer screening

• CDC and other federal agencies follow the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which recommends against PSA-based screening for men without symptoms. Other groups — the American Urological Association, the American Cancer Society and the American College of Physicians — may recommend differently, so men should talk with their doctor.
• Because men and their doctors may still choose to screen, CDC supports informed decision making, in which a man:
• • understands the nature and risk of prostate cancer;
  • understands the risks, benefits and alternatives to screening;
  • takes part in the decision as much as he wants;
  • makes a choice consistent with his preferences and values.
• Better screening and treatment are still needed; meanwhile, CDC encourages doctors to talk openly with patients who have questions about prostate cancer and PSA screening.

Sources

Based on "Does the material address both the risks and benefits of the recommended behaviors?," Clear Communication Index, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain.