International Symposium on Understanding Health Benefits and Risks
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The 1st International Symposium on Understanding Health Benefits and Risks: Empowering Patients and Citizens
Charles Commons Conference Center: Johns Hopkins University
May 28, 2009 – May 29, 2009
This SYMPOSIUM will be held on the campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, USA on May 28-29, 2009. This two day event will provide a forum for professionals from different disciplines to discuss a timely and increasingly important issue – the communication of health benefits and risks to patients and citizens.
The primary purpose of this Symposium is to open a dialogue among policy-makers, physicians, journalists, nurses, the media, the pharmaceutical industry, government agencies, environmental and social scientists, attorneys and academia on how to clearly communicate health risks to the public.
One of the objectives is to discuss and explore specific approaches which have been effective in assisting the public in comprehending and interpreting health risk information. The overall goal is to come to “common ground” so that the public can begin to participate in decisions regarding what constitute acceptable risks and benefits.
Experts from different fields (e.g., medicine, journalists, risk assessors) have been invited and will discuss concepts and present “case studies” pertinent to the theme of this Symposium. Attendees will have an opportunity to discuss and share their views and perspectives.
The decision to hold this Symposium was based, in large part, on positive responses to our book (The Illusion of Certainty-Health Benefits and Risks) from physicians, journalists, other professionals and the general public. The book attempts to put the complexities of risk analysis in terms the general public can understand, thereby, empowering individuals to make well-informed decisions about their health.
Recent Submissions
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How and Why Too Much Health Journalism Lead the Public Astray: Case Studies from a Former Medical Reporter.
(2009-11-20)Every day, consumers are bombarded by countless medical stories touting the latest research published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and other leading medical ... -
The Protestant Reformation in Health Communication: Why Science Needs A Standard Way To Talk To Non-Scientists
(2009-11-20)My presentation will discuss how we have embarked on what you might term a Protestant Reformation when it comes to the relationship of doctors to patients. At one time patients went to the priestly doctors with questions ... -
Judgment Day: What Do We Know About HRT? What Should We Know?
(2009-11-20)The purpose of clear communication about the possible risks of any medicine or treatment is to help consumers make informed decisions, but much of the professional and journalistic reporting of the data on HRT and health ... -
Foundations for the Illusion of Certainty Pertaining to Health Risks and Benefits
(2009-11-20)Health benefits and risks are part of our everyday language and get extensive media coverage. Daily we are presented with information about effects from exposure to environmental contaminants and reports from public health ... -
Overtreated: Why Too Much Care is as Bad as Too Little
(2009-11-20)Americans worry about not getting medical care they need, because they are uninsured or underinsured. They are far less likely to consider the risks of getting unnecessary care, which accounts for 20 to 30 percent of the ... -
Understanding the Concept of Acceptable Health Risks and Benefits
(2009-11-20)The notion of acceptable health risks or benefits is not easy to define. Acceptable risk is essentially the measure of harm or disease that is considered acceptable by a person or an organization (e.g., EPA, CDC, FDA). ... -
Differences in Family and Financial Stress and the Decision to Donate in Black and White Living Renal Donors
(2009-11-20)Background: Blacks have one of the highest rates of end stage renal disease in the U.S. but receive living kidney donations at a far lower rate than Whites. Transplant programs in the U.S. work to promote autonomous ... -
The Evolution of the Assessment of Health and Environmental Risks by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(2009-11-20)The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has been at the forefront of human health and ecological risk assessment within the federal government since the 1970s. Over time, EPA’s risk assessment methodology has ... -
A Beach Head on an Untamed Shore--A Physician-Ethicist Addresses a Living Kidney Donor Selection.
(2009-11-20)The risks and benefits of living kidney donation are complicated and variable, and potential donors may be driven by emotion or feel pressured to donate. Transplant centers strive to be ethical, but debate continues over ... -
Medical Journalism: A Look Inside the Television Tent
(2009-11-20)Whether we like it or not, most Americans get a great deal of their medical information from television. This can be both good and bad. Who determines what news gets on TV? Who reports medical news…and how competent are ... -
The Psychometric Paradigm Meets The Real World. A View on Risk Perception Psychology and Risk Communication from a Former Journalist
(2009-11-20)The challenge of effectively communicating risks and benefits in the area of personal health is complex. Much attention is rightly focused on the tasks of making information clear, and coping with problems of numeracy. But ... -
Communicating Benefit and Risk: A View from the Pharmaceutical Industry
(2009-11-20)There is a general expectation among the public that all drugs should be safe for all and result in a favorable clinical outcome. The clinical development process for a new drug is both costly (over $1 billion per successful ... -
Uninformed Patient Choice: The American Way of Making Medical Decisions
(2009-11-20)The model of delegating medical decisions to doctors is alive and well in the U.S. When patients describe interactions with physicians around decisions, they clearly are doctor driven. More importantly, most of the ... -
Decision Making in Geriatrics
(2009-11-20)The geriatric population has the most extensive use of medical services. Their medical issues are complex and often aggravated by the need for surrogate decision making. The Erickson Health Medical Group’s model of geriatric ...
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