The Drug Facts Box: Providing Consumers with Simple Tabular Data on Drug Benefit and Harm

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Lisa.Schwartz{at}Dartmouth.edu.

	Abstract

Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)Context. Direct-to-consumer drug ads have been criticized for providing inadequate and misleading information. Requiring ads to include a table with data on drug benefits and side effects (derived from clinical trials) could help, provided that consumers understand such tabular information. Objective. To determine if people could understand and use a 9-row x 2-column ‘‘study findings table’’ presenting expected outcomes (both beneficial and harmful) with and without a drug. Subjects. Aconvenience sample of 274 participants: 186 recruited from alumni of Dartmouth’s ‘‘Community Medical School’’ public lecture series and Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Center for Shared Decision Making and 88 veterans and their families recruited from waiting rooms in the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic, White River Junction, Vermont. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Participants were tested on their comprehension of the study findings table about the drug tamoxifen used for the primary prevention of breast cancer—with no instructions on how to use the table. Main outcome measure. Five comprehension questions testing how well participants could read and use the table with drug benefits and side effects data. Results. On average, participants correctly answered 4 of the 5 table comprehension questions: 89% correctly used the table to determine the percentage of womengiven tamoxifenwho gota bloodclotintheir legs or lungs, and 71% were able to use data in the table to calculate the absolute difference in the proportion of women who got breast cancer in the tamoxifen v. the placebo group. Most participants were also able to use the table to make comparisons. Conclusion. Most participants—even those with lower formal educational attainment—were able to understand and use the tabular data. Key words: risk communication; decision aids; pharmaceutical decision making. (Med Decis Making 2007;XX:xx–xx)
CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. M. Hamm, D. E. Bard, E. Hsieh, and H. F. Stein Contingent or Universal Approaches to Patient Deficiencies in Health Numeracy Med Decis Making, October 1, 2007; 27(5): 635 - 637. [PDF]

				I. M. Lipkus Numeric, Verbal, and Visual Formats of Conveying Health Risks: Suggested Best Practices and Future Recommendations Med Decis Making, October 1, 2007; 27(5): 696 - 713. [Abstract] [PDF]