Genetic counseling clients' perception of different numeric formats of probabilistic risk figures: A pilot study

The goal of each genetic counseling session is, through nondirective means, to enable clients to choose the options that are, as defined by their values, the best. Inherent to genetic counseling is the principle that information is the foundation of decision-making. Therefore, client education is a fundamental task of genetic counseling. One crucial component of client education is the communication of probabilistic information. Clients generally find the understanding of risk figures the most difficult aspect of the genetic counseling session. Given that genetic counseling influences clients' subsequent decisions, genetic counselors must employ the methods that most unambiguously relay risk information. This pilot study comprises the development and evaluation of a questionnaire that will be used to investigate which numeric format of risk information (percentage, ratio, rate, or odds) clients perceive most accurately and to investigate whether clients' accuracy of perception corresponds to their mathematic facility.