Risk communication: understanding the risk of exposure
Communicating the risk of an action or consequence can be very difficult. Table 9 presents an approach to this that may be useful with patients.
Table 9. Estimates to quantify risk
| Risk | Risk description |
|---|---|
| 1/1 > risk > 1/10 | Very high |
| 1/10 > risk > 1/100 | High |
| 1/100 > risk > 1/1000 | Moderate |
| 1/1000 > risk > 1/10,000 | Low |
| 1/10,000 > risk > 1/100,000 | Very low |
| 1/100,000 > risk > 1/1,000,000 | Minimal |
| 1/1,000,000 > risk > 1 in 1 billion-trillion | Negligible |