Same information, different decisions: format counts

BMJ 1999;318:1501-1502 ( 5 June )

Editorials

Same information, different decisions: format counts

Format as well as content matters in clinical information

Information in Practice p 1527

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The function of information is to help us make better decisions.¹ The amount of clinical information, measured by journalarticles, has doubled over two decades,² but thanks to evidencebased approaches the content now seems more reliable. For example,the review article has changed from a vehicle to advance the author'sreputation³ to a balanced synthesis of evidence we can safelyuse to inform clinical and policy decisions.⁴ To justify thisspecial position, much effort is expended on assembling reliablecontent $---$ from comprehensive literature searches⁴ to peer reviewand the editorial process.⁵ However, just assembling the rightwords and data is not enough to ensure that better decisions willbe taken. Elting's study in this issue shows that doctors' decisionscan easily be manipulated by changing the format of words anddata $---$ for example, by presenting information in tables, graphs,or pictograms (p 1527).⁶ What is more, the formats . . . [Full text of this article]

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Influence of data display formats on physician investigators' decisions to stop clinical trials: prospective trial with repeated measures: Linda S Elting, Charles G Martin, Scott B Cantor, and Edward B Rubenstein
BMJ 1999 318: 1527-1531. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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