COMMUNICATION ABOUT RISK - DIVERSITY AMONG PRIMARY-CARE PROFESSIONALS

Objective. We aimed to identify the important clinical topics and to r eport current practice of communication about risk in primary care. Me thods. We carried out a qualitative study using six semi-structured fo cus group discussions with primary care professionals. The subjects we re 36 primary care professionals from general practice, practice nurse , district nurse, community psychiatric nurse and health visitor disci plines. Results. All clinical topics were felt to raise issues of effe ctive risk communication. Participants expressed concern about the lac k of accessible up-to-date information and the problems of conveying i nformation to patients. They described the circumstances and contexts in which communication varies and is difficult, and identified media a nd medico-legal influences and professional uncertainty as also contri buting to the problems of risk communication. Specific training in ris k communication was identified as an important need. Conclusions. The complexity of risk communication and diversity of influences on it wil l require wide-ranging interventions in order to address them. Standar dized communication may be a difficult goal to attain.