Citation

Spivey GH. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 1991; 44(Suppl 1): 63S-67S.

Affiliation

Health Services Department, Epidemiology & Environmental Medicine, UNOCAL, Los Angeles, CA 90017.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2030398

Abstract

Health risk communication is discussed in respect to four principles of biomedical ethics: (1) autonomy, the need to protect confidentiality and provide decision-making information; (2) beneficence, an obligation to inform and to develop trust; (3) non-maleficence, not covering up study findings, not over- or underinterpreting data; and (4) justice, helping place risk in proper perspective. The epidemiologist's role in risk communication includes responsible interpretation of data, balanced and non-judgemental risk communication and careful attention to the biologic and population significance of study findings. Potential problem areas for epidemiologists which are discussed include deciding when risk is significant, working for an agency which does not want a communication to take place and the occasional need to violate confidentiality for overriding societal goals. The paper concludes with an example risk communication which illustrates some of the principles covered in the paper.

Language: en