For example, when told that a risk may increase 1.9 times, people want to know what the initial risk is, as well as the implications of the increased risk. Visuals can be an effective way to communicate information about risk, particularly when accompanied by a brief written explanation. The message that a visual conveys needs to be immediately apparent because people will not spend much time analyzing health messages that do not jump out at them. The message can be especially effective when it is included as part of the visual itself. People want to hear what researchers know as well as what they don't know.
People recognize a number of challenges that medical researchers face.
Finding cures for cancer and AIDS, limited funding for research, prioritizing limited dollars, stringent government regulations for drug approval, politics, and ethical issues are recognized by the public as challenges for researchers. People appreciate that health experts do not know everything about a particular disease or health issue. In fact, communicating risk information with complete certainty often makes it less credible to the public. People are frustrated when a potential health hazard is announced and they are not told how to respond to it. People do not just want to be told about risk, they want to be told how to reduce it.