What is the recommended way to present risk information to support shared decision making?

• A. Use relative risk framing only
• B. Provide context by comparing to baseline risk
• C. Use absolute risk and natural frequencies (e.g., 5 in 100) with context
• D. Avoid inviting questions

Answer: (C)

Presenting risk information in absolute terms with clear context is the best approach because it grounds the numbers in real-world likelihoods people can imagine. Absolute risk shows the actual chance of an outcome over a defined period (for example, a treatment reduces risk from 3 in 100 to 1 in 100), and pairing that with the baseline risk helps patients see exactly how much a treatment changes their odds. Using natural frequencies, like “3 in 100” or “1 in 100,” tends to be easier to understand than abstract percentages or relative measures, making it easier for patients to compare options and weigh benefits and harms against their own values. Relative risk alone can mislead by sounding large or small without showing the starting risk, and giving information without context can leave patients uncertain about what the numbers mean for them. Sharing the numbers in this clear, contextual way supports true shared decision making, where questions and discussion about preferences are encouraged.