scholarly journals Effects of Emotion on Medical Decisions Involving Tradeoffs

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1027-1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin M. Ellis ◽  
William M.P. Klein ◽  
Edward Orehek ◽  
Rebecca A. Ferrer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
Risk Judgments

Risk perceptions for a disease can motivate use of medications that reduce disease risk. However, these medications are often accompanied by elevated risks for other adverse health effects, and perceived risk of these side effects may also influence decisions. Emotions experienced at the time of a decision influence risk judgments and decision making, and they may be important to examine in these tradeoff contexts. This study examined the effect of experimentally induced fear and anger on risk perceptions and willingness to use a hypothetical medical treatment that attenuates risk of one condition but increases the risk for another. Participants ( N = 1948) completed an induction of fear, anger, or neutral emotion and then read about a hypothetical medication that reduced risk for one health condition but increased risk for another, and they indicated their willingness to use it. Deliberative, experiential, and affective risk perceptions about both health conditions were measured, conditional on taking and not taking the medication. Fear condition participants were more willing to take the medication than those in the neutral condition (β = 0.14; P = 0.009; 95% confidence interval, 0.036–0.25). Fear also increased deliberative, experiential, and affective risk when conditioned on not using the medication, Ps < 0.05. In contrast, anger did not influence willingness to use the medication ( P = 0.22) and increased deliberative and affective risk of side effects when conditioned on using the medication ( P < 0.05). As one of the first studies to examine how emotion influences tradeoff decision making, these findings extend our understanding of how fear and anger influence such decisions.

scholarly journals “If He Has it, We Know What to Do”: Parent Perspectives on Familial Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine E MacDuffie ◽  
Lauren Turner-Brown ◽  
Annette M Estes ◽  
Benjamin S Wilfond ◽  
Stephen R Dager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Familial Risk ◽  
Predictive Testing ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
Familial Disorders

Abstract Objective Predictive testing for familial disorders can guide healthcare and reproductive decisions. Familial disorders with onset in childhood (e.g., autism spectrum disorder [ASD]) are promising targets for presymptomatic prediction; however, little is known about parent perceptions of risk to their children in the presymptomatic period. The current study examined risk perceptions in parents of infants at high familial risk for ASD enrolled in a longitudinal study of brain and behavior development. Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 37 parents of high-risk infants during the presymptomatic window (3–15 months) that precedes an ASD diagnosis. Infants were identified as high familial risk due to having an older sibling with ASD. Parent interview responses were coded and interpreted to distill emerging themes. Results The majority of parents were aware of the increased risk of ASD for their infants, and risk perceptions were influenced by comparisons to their older child with ASD. Parents reported a variety of negative emotions in response to perceived risk, including worry, fear, and sadness, and described impacts of perceived risk on their behavior: increased vigilance to emerging symptoms, altered reproductive and healthcare decisions, and seeking ongoing assessment through research. Conclusions Parents of children at high familial risk for childhood-onset disorders like ASD face a period of challenging uncertainty during early development. In anticipation of a future in which presymptomatic testing for ASD is made available, it is important to understand how parents react to and cope with the elevated—but still highly uncertain—risk conveyed by family history.

scholarly journals Perceptions of risk in pregnancy with chronic disease: A systematic review and thematic synthesis

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0254956
Author(s):  
Elizabeth R. Ralston ◽  
Priscilla Smith ◽  
Joseph Chilcot ◽  
Sergio A. Silverio ◽  
Kate Bramham
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Pregnancy Risk ◽  
Thematic Synthesis ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
In Pregnancy

Background Women with chronic disease are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancies which pose higher risk, often require increased medical supervision and intervention. How women perceive their pregnancy risk and its impact on health behaviour is poorly understood. The aim of this systematic review of qualitative literature is to evaluate risk perceptions of pregnancy in women with chronic disease. Methods Eleven electronic databases including grey literature were systematically searched for qualitative studies published in English which reported on pregnancy, risk perception and chronic disease. Full texts were reviewed by two researchers, independently. Quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative checklist and data were synthesised using a thematic synthesis approach. The analysis used all text under the findings or results section from each included paper as data. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO. Results Eight studies were included in the review. Three themes with sub-themes were constructed from the analysis including: Information Synthesis (Sub-themes: Risk to Self and Risk to Baby), Psychosocial Factors (Sub-themes: Emotional Response, Self-efficacy, Healthcare Relationship), and Impact on Behaviour (Sub-themes: Perceived Risk and Objective Risk). Themes fitted within an overarching concept of Balancing Act. The themes together inter-relate to understand how women with chronic disease perceive their risk in pregnancy. Conclusions Women’s pregnancy-related behaviour and engagement with healthcare services appear to be influenced by their perception of pregnancy risk. Women with chronic disease have risk perceptions which are highly individualised. Assessment and communication of women’s pregnancy risk should consider their own understanding and perception of risk. Different chronic diseases introduce diverse pregnancy risks and further research is needed to understand women’s risk perceptions in specific chronic diseases.

scholarly journals Math matters during a pandemic: A novel, brief educational intervention combats whole number bias to improve health decision-making and predicts COVID-19 risk perceptions and worry across 10 days

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarissa A. Thompson ◽  
Jennifer M Taber ◽  
Pooja Gupta Sidney ◽  
Charles Fitzsimmons ◽  
Marta Mielicki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Health Decision Making ◽  
Whole Number ◽  
Health Decision

At the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, our interdisciplinary team hypothesized that a mathematical misconception--whole number bias (WNB)--contributed to incorrect beliefs that COVID-19 was less fatal than the flu. We created a novel, five-minute online educational intervention, leveraging evidence-based cognitive science research, to encourage accurate COVID-19 and flu fatality rate calculations and comparisons. As predicted, adults (N = 1,297) randomly assigned to the intervention were more likely to correctly answer health decision-making problems and were less likely to report WNB errors in their problem-solving strategies relative to control participants. There were no immediate effects of condition on COVID-19 risk perceptions and worry; however, those in the intervention group did exhibit increased perceived risk and worry across 10 days of daily diaries. The intervention did not cause distress; instead, it increased positive affect. Ameliorating WNB errors could impact people’s risk perceptions about future health crises.

How safe is radiotherapy practice in India: perceptions and practical experiences among the workers of radiotherapy facilities in North East, India?

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-435
Author(s):  
Dewan Thokchom Singh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Indian States ◽  
North East India ◽  
North East

AbstractPurposeThe aim of this study was to understand how the regulatory requirements for functioning radiotherapy practices in India to control risk were conceptualised, perceived and applied accordingly in the radiotherapy facilities. It further examined how the social factors influenced the decision-making process for implementing regulatory requirements in the radiotherapy facilities.Material and methodThis study was carried out in nine radiotherapy facilities located in the northeastern Indian states of Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The study adopted both the semi-structured and in-depth questionnaire, developed on the basis of multidisciplinary fields.ResultThe study found that the facilities in the northeastern regions were commissioned in line with the regulatory requirements. The facilities had adequate structural shielding rooms to protect workers, patients and the public from the risk of ionising radiation. However, in the operational phase of the facilities, majority of the facilities had the improper management of existing resources and non-implementation of regulatory requirements on time. It was observed that workers in some facilities continued the practice, despite the failure of specific safety functions, or not meeting regulatory requirements. Such practices led to the suspension of patient treatment in three of the facilities by the regulator. The existence of a varying nature of risk perceptions among oncologists, medical physicists, radiological safety officers, radiotherapy technologists in the facilities were observed and these influenced the decision-making process of the facilities on the implementation of regulatory requirements.ConclusionThe study found that the facilities needed to explore various means, including to narrow the gap that existed in respects of perceived risk (within the facilities), communication to enhance work coordination and mutual trust among workers. The adoption of the institutional policy for conducting an internal audit of working practices, encouragement of workers to participate in continuing education programs would enhance effective utilisation of already existing infrastructure/equipment and work procedures including quality assurance programs.

scholarly journals Causes and consequences of uncertainty about illness risk perceptions

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1030-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Orom ◽  
Caitlin Biddle ◽  
Erika A Waters ◽  
Marc T Kiviniemi ◽  
Amanda N Sosnowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Future Orientation ◽  
Metacognitive Awareness ◽  
Time Orientation ◽  
Reduce Risk ◽  
Risk Judgments ◽  
Risk Reducing ◽  
Lower Uncertainty ◽  
Potential Determinant

We identified determinants of uncertainty about perceived risk judgments and demonstrated that uncertainty is associated with lower engagement in risk-reducing behavior. We found that people likely have metacognitive awareness of when their judgments are overly pessimistic, resulting in uncertainty and that question context (more constraints) and people’s time orientation (future orientation) are associated with lower uncertainty. Uncertainty about conditioned risk judgments was associated with lower engagement in exercising and eating a healthy diet in order to reduce risk for heart disease. As a potential determinant of behavior, uncertainty about risk judgments merits further consideration for integration into theories of health behavior.

scholarly journals Modeling Preconception Perceptions of Pregnancy and Birth: A Qualitative Study of Women Living in Italy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney Rivera ◽  
Stephanie Meier ◽  
Zeina Naoum ◽  
Andrea DeMaria
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Prenatal Care ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Health Planning ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Preconception Health ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Pregnancy And Birth

Abstract Background: Preconception health planning is a recognized resource for optimization of physical and mental-emotional health prior to pregnancy, though few women and providers demonstrate high awareness of preconception health. Furthermore, concerns, fear, and risk perceptions are often absent from the discussion, despite their potential impact on pregnancy and birth decision-making. These themes remain understudied in Italian populations. Methods: Researchers conducted in-depth interviews in 2017 with 43 reproductive-aged women living in or around Florence, Italy, and currently using the Italian health care system. An expanded grounded theory approach was used to explore pregnancy and birth perceptions. HyperRESEARCH facilitated open and axial coding for thematic analyses.Results: Themes emerged in the form of three continuous spectrums across which women view pregnancy and birth decision-making in the preconception period. First, participants identified strong social and healthcare support for pregnancy and birth, which at times was perceived as excessive or limiting (Supported vs. Controlled). Second, participants contrasted Italian preferences for natural and holistic processes with the medical model of prenatal care and birth (Natural vs. Medical). Third, participants constructed pregnancy and birth through risk narratives, placing a high priority on safety (Safe vs. Risky). While women described a culture of social support and natural lifestyle preferences, they also emphasized complications and risk, treatment of pregnant women as sick or fragile, seemingly rigorous prenatal care, and birth choices contingent on as-of-yet unexperienced complications. High levels of social and medical control surrounding pregnancy correlated with high levels of perceived risk. Conclusions: Findings offer opportunities for practitioners to address pregnancy- and birth-related concerns and misinformation through an integrated model demonstrating both the destructive role of risk and control as well as the possibility of a more positive emphasis on safety and support.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Disease Risk: From Social Construction of Subjective Judgments to Rational Decision Making

2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 654-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. McRoberts ◽  
C. Hall ◽  
L. V. Madden ◽  
G. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Disease Management ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Model Complexity ◽  
Perceptions Of Risk ◽  
Decision Tools ◽  
Plant Disease Management

Many factors influence how people form risk perceptions. Farmers' perceptions of risk and levels of risk aversion impact on decision-making about such things as technology adoption and disease management practices. Irrespective of the underlying factors that affect risk perceptions, those perceptions can be summarized by variables capturing impact and uncertainty components of risk. We discuss a new framework that has the subjective probability of disease and the cost of decision errors as its central features, which might allow a better integration of social science and epidemiology, to the benefit of plant disease management. By focusing on the probability and cost (or impact) dimensions of risk, the framework integrates research from the social sciences, economics, decision theory, and epidemiology. In particular, we review some useful properties of expected regret and skill value, two measures of expected cost that are particularly useful in the evaluation of decision tools. We highlight decision-theoretic constraints on the usefulness of decision tools that may partly explain cases of failure of adoption. We extend this analysis by considering information-theoretic criteria that link model complexity and relative performance and which might explain why users reject forecasters that impose even moderate increases in the complexity of decision making despite improvements in performance or accept very simple decision tools that have relatively poor performance.

Exploring the relationship between risk perception and U.S. driver acceptance of a 0.05% BAC limit

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 1661-1665
Author(s):  
Raina J. Shah ◽  
Charles G. Burhans ◽  
Michael J. Wise ◽  
J. Paul Frantz ◽  
Timothy P. Rhoades
Keyword(s):  
Risk Reduction ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Policy Preferences ◽  
Transportation Safety ◽  
Crash Risk ◽  
Increased Risk

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recently recommended that states reduce the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for driving from 0.08% to 0.05%. This study assessed attitudes of drivers toward this recommendation. It also assessed the extent to which attitudes toward lowering the legal BAC limit were related to the perceived risk of driving at different BAC levels as compared to other factors. A majority of drivers surveyed (54%) were in favor of the 0.05% BAC limit proposal, with 26% against it and 20% neutral toward it. Those who believed that driving at 0.05% BAC posed an increased risk for a crash were more likely to support the proposal than those who did not think that driving at 0.05% BAC posed an increased crash risk. However, perceptions about the risk posed by driving at various BACs did not completely determine policy preferences. Some participants supported the 0.05% BAC limit even though they did not perceive a risk reduction benefit, while others perceived a risk reduction benefit of a 0.05% BAC limit but still did not support the policy. Implications for the role of risk perceptions in policy preferences are discussed.

Health Practices and Vaginal Microbicide Acceptability among Urban Black Women

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lungwani Muungo
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
New York ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Hiv Transmission ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Microbicide Acceptability ◽  
Vaginal Practices ◽  
Willingness To Use

Background: Intravaginal topical microbicides are being investigated for prevention of HIV transmission. Useof vaginal microbicides will constitute a new type of practice, occurring in the context of other vaginal practicesrelated to contraception, hygiene, and self-care, which are affected by cultural norms and personal beliefs.Given the high rate of HIV infection among black women, research on practices and decision making relevantto microbicide acceptability is needed in this population.Methods: Twenty-three black women in New York City, aged 25–64, completed in-person semistructured interviewsand self-administered questionnaires. Quantitative analyses examined vaginal practices and willingnessto use microbicides. Qualitative analyses explored underlying decision-making processes involved inchoices regarding vaginal practices and general healthcare.Results: Willingness to use vaginal products for HIV prevention was high, especially among more educatedwomen. Safety was a major concern, and women were cautious about using vaginal products. Whereas someviewed synthetic products as having potentially harmful side effects, others perceived natural products as riskybecause of insufficient testing. Choices about vaginal practices were affected by assessments of risk and efficacy,prior experience, cultural background, and general approach to healthcare.Conclusions: The majority of women in the sample expressed willingness to use a vaginal product for HIV prevention.Decision-making processes regarding vaginal practices were complex and were affected by social, cultural,and personal factors. Although specific preferences may vary, attitudes toward using a vaginal productare likely to be positive when side effects are minimal and the product is considered safe.

scholarly journals Worry and Perceived Risk of COVID-19 Among Government Employees in Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wakgari Deressa ◽  
Alemayehu Worku ◽  
Sefonias Getachew ◽  
Wondwossen Amogne ◽  
Workeabeba Abebe
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Addis Ababa ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Government Employees ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Almost All

Abstract Background Worry and perceived risk have been identified as important factors that affect people’s attitude to adopt preventive behaviors against infectious diseases outbreaks and pandemics. However, very few recent studies investigated the worry and perceived risk aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the level of worry and perceived risk of COVID-19 among government employees working in 46 public institutions in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods This cross-sectional study used a sample of 1,573 respondents selected by systematic random sampling technique. Data on socio-demographics, worry and perceived risks of COVID-19 were collected using a self-administered questionnaire between 8th and 19th June 2020. Summary statistics were used to summarize the data. Mixed-effects linear regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of COVID-19 worry and perceived risk. Results The mean (± SD) age was 35 (± 8.5) years, with 58.3% aged between 30 to 49 years. About 63% were male and 87% had bachelor’s degree or above. Almost all (98%) respondents were worried about the economic crisis due to COVID-19, followed by worries related to limited access to food supplies (97%), and losing loved one’s (95%). Majority (81%) reported they were being susceptible to coronavirus, and 79% indicated they had a chance of acquiring the virus. About 61% reported their personal health’s increased risk of COVID-19 due to their work characteristics. Predictors of COVID-19 worry were increased year of service (β = 0.09, p = 0.001), being from Oromia (β = 3.93, p < 0.001), younger age (β = -0.07, p < 0.001), having bachelor’s degree (β = -1.58, p = 0.001), and master’s degree or above β = -1.84, p < 0.001). COVID-19 level of worry (β = 0.07, p < 0.001), being men (β = 0.34, p = 0.010) and self-reported chronic illness (β = 0.45, p = 0.047) were significant predictors of perceived risk. Conclusions This study demonstrated higher level of COVID-19 related worry and perceived risk. COVID-19 worry correlated significantly with perceived risk. The findings highlight the importance of considering public reactions such as worry and risk perceptions towards COVID-19 to inform the ongoing public health interventions and health promotion programs.

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