A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 22 studies. There was weak evidence, consistent with a small effect, that personalised risk communication (whether written, spoken or visually presented) increases uptake of screening tests (odds ratio [OR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98 to 1.77). More detailed personalised risk communication may be associated with a smaller increase in uptake of tests: for personalised risk communication which used and presented numerical calculations of risk, the OR for test uptake was 0.82 (95% CI 0.65 to 1.03). For risk estimates or calculations which were categorised into high, medium or low strata of risk, the OR was 1.42 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.89). For risk communication that simply listed personal risk factors the OR was 1.42 (95% CI 0.95 to 2.12).
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by limitations in study quality (inadequate or unclear allocation concealment, inadequate intention-to-treat adherence) and by inconsistency (heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes).
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