Communication about risk: diversity among primary care professionals.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify the important clinical topics and to report current practice of communication about risk in primary care.
METHODS: We carried out a qualitative study using six semi-structured focus group discussions with primary care professionals. The subjects were 36 primary care professionals from general practice, practice nurse, district nurse, community psychiatric nurse and health visitor disciplines.
RESULTS: All clinical topics were felt to raise issues of effective risk communication. Participants expressed concern about the lack of accessible up-to-date information and the problems of conveying information to patients. They described the circumstances and contexts in which communication varies and is difficult, and identified media and medico-legal influences and professional uncertainty as also contributing to the problems of risk communication. Specific training in risk communication was identified as an important need.
CONCLUSIONS: The complexity of risk communication and diversity of influences on it will require wide-ranging interventions in order to address them. Standardized communication may be a difficult goal to attain.