Intended for healthcare professionals

Letters Health literacy

Doctors’ numeracy and communication skills need to improve

BMJ 2012; 344 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e3069 (Published 01 May 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e3069
  1. Hazel Thornton, honorary visiting fellow, Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester1
  1. 1Colchester CO5 7EA, UK
  1. hazelcagct{at}keme.co.uk

Raynor’s editorial seems to assume that only patients and citizens have poor understanding.1 Until we identify and understand all the reasons for health illiteracy, we will not find solutions. The goal of increasing health literacy to improve health outcomes also requires recognising the severe shortcomings of health professionals to understand, report, and communicate statistics and risks.2 This is aside from the need for attention to semantics.

In addition, patients often make decisions in ways that deviate from official ideals.3 Manson and O’Neill ask us to consider what exactly is meant by “information” and make a powerful case for engaging in “effective informative communication” rather than “disclosure.”4 This will not be achieved until doctors’ numeracy skills are improved—communication and shared decision making are suboptimal when these skills are poor.5

Surely the first step, after acknowledging the problem, has to be to improve teaching in schools, medical colleges, and postgraduate courses.

Journal editors have a crucial gatekeeping role to play.

Notes

Cite this as: BMJ 2012;344:e3069

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None declared.

References