ABSTRACT
Difficulties of risk communication may be associated with the person conveying the information or the person receiving the information. Talking about risk with patients has always been an important issue for doctors, nurses and health visitors on a one-to-one basis. There is often a gap between what doctors and other health professionals say and what is heard by patients. Some of the doctors interviewed said that patients 'are no good with numbers'. At times of anxiety or apprehension, patients need clear explanations but also to feel that the doctor understands what it is like for them to be receiving the news. The 'subjective patient model' expects the health professional to take into account the individual patient involved in the decision making. Risk scales should lead to decision making that patients feel comfortable with. Risk scales are descriptive models to aid understanding of the probability of risk.
