Background
Communicating health-related numerical information effectively to lay audiences—such as patients and the general public—is an essential component of healthcare. Understanding risks, benefits, and medical statistics helps individuals make informed decisions about their health. Research on how best to convey these numbers is growing, but a recent systematic review, titled “Making Numbers Meaningful,” has revealed pervasive problems in how such studies are reported. These issues limit the ability of readers to accurately interpret findings and replicate studies.
Purpose of the Guidelines
The primary goal of these guidelines is to standardize reporting practices for research investigating the communication of medical numbers to non-expert audiences. By addressing common issues identified in past studies, these recommendations aim to improve clarity, reproducibility, and usefulness of research findings to ultimately enhance communication strategies in clinical and public health settings.
Common Reporting Challenges
The systematic review uncovered six key reporting issues prevalent in research on communicating numbers:
1. Inadequate background information explaining the rationale or evidence gap motivating the study.
2. Insufficient detail about experimental design and analysis methods.
3. Poorly described outcomes and measures used to evaluate communication effectiveness.
4. Lack of specificity in describing data presentation formats shown to participants.
5. Omission of exact wording used for outcome measures.
6. Inconsistent terminology related to outcomes and presentation formats.
These deficiencies make it difficult for other researchers and healthcare communicators to assess or build upon the findings.
Recommended Reporting Guidelines
To address these problems, the authors propose seven detailed reporting guidelines:
1. Clearly specify how the study objectives address a specific gap in evidence concerning communicating numbers. This contextualizes the research and justifies its necessity.
2. Explicitly report all combinations of data presentation formats (i.e., the experimental conditions) compared in the study to allow replication and accurate interpretation.
3. Include verbatim examples of the exact data presentation materials participants viewed. This transparency helps others understand the stimuli used.
4. Describe whether participants had access to the data presentation formats while outcome measures were assessed. This clarifies the testing conditions influencing comprehension.
5. Report the precise wording of all outcome measures such as surveys or comprehension tests to ensure replicability.
6. Use standardized and consistent terminology for both outcomes and presentation formats. This promotes clarity and comparability of findings across studies.
7. Define broad outcome concepts concretely. Terms like gist understanding, comprehension, or knowledge should have precise, operational definitions reported.
Implications for Future Research
Implementing these guidelines will help future researchers produce high-quality, well-reported studies that address how people understand medical numbers. Better reporting facilitates easier evidence synthesis and comparison, ultimately supporting the development of evidence-based best practices for communicating health risks and benefits effectively to patients and the public.
Healthcare providers and policymakers rely heavily on clear communication to promote patient understanding and informed decision-making. Therefore, improving research reporting directly impacts public health outcomes.
Additional Considerations for Effective Number Communication
Beyond reporting guidelines, researchers and practitioners should consider several factors to enhance numerical communication:
– Use plain language and avoid complex jargon. Even numerical data should be presented in ways accessible to non-experts.
– Employ visual aids such as graphs or icon arrays in ways that complement numerical information and reduce cognitive burden.
– Contextualize numbers with meaningful comparisons or analogies that resonate with the audience’s experiences.
– Test communication formats with target audiences using user-centered designs. Engagement and feedback ensure materials are understandable and actionable.
Conclusions
Research into conveying medical numbers to laypersons is critical for patient-centered care. The identification of common reporting deficiencies and the proposal of seven comprehensive guidelines mark an important step forward. Future studies that adhere to these recommendations will help build a clearer, more reproducible evidence base.
In turn, this supports clinicians and public health professionals in delivering information that empowers patients, improving health literacy and outcomes. Ongoing collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and patients will continue refining effective communication strategies for the numerical aspects of healthcare.
References
Benda NC, Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Ancker JS. How to Report Research on the Communication of Health-Related Numbers: The Research on Communicating Numbers (ReCoN) Guidelines. Med Decis Making. 2025 Oct;45(7):826-833. doi: 10.1177/0272989X251346799. Epub 2025 Jun 24. PMID: 40553451; PMCID: PMC12353949.
Zikmund-Fisher BJ, Thorpe A, Fagerlin A. How to Communicate Medical Numbers. JAMA. 2025 Sep 24. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.13655. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40991282.
