We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Yasmina Okan, a member of the CAS Research Group, has co-authored a new publication in the journal Health Communication, in collaboration with the Department of Public and Occupational Health at Amsterdam University Medical Center. 

The article, titled “Assessing the Impact of Visualizations of Quantitative and Qualitative Risk Information on the Comprehension of Hypothetical Risk-Based Breast Cancer Screening Results”, offers new insights into how risk communication can be improved in health decision-making contexts, with a focus on cancer screening.

The experimental study investigated whether visualizations of risk information supported women’s comprehension of risk-based breast cancer screening results. The visualizations included icon arrays to present quantitative risk and simplified drawings to convey qualitative risk, and were presented as static or interactive visualizations. The authors compared these formats with a well-designed textual format with numerical information.

Key findings include:

• The visualizations did not significantly improve comprehension compared to the textual format. This suggests that visual formats don’t automatically guarantee better understanding.

• While interactive visualizations were rated more positively than static ones, they hindered comprehension. This emphasizes the relevance of assessing actual understanding rather than relying solely on user preference ratings.

This research contributes to ongoing efforts to enhance risk communication in cancer prevention programs, particularly as screening strategies increasingly rely on individualized, risk-based information. By identifying which formats enhance or hinder understanding, the study offers valuable guidance for clinicians, public health professionals, and designers of patient communication materials.

Congratulations to Dr. Okan and her co-authors for their important contribution to the field of health communication!

Reference

Van Strien-Knippenberg, I. S., Timmermans, D. R., Weber, M., Okan, Y., Van Gils, C. H., Broeders, M. J., Damman, O. C., Van Strien-Knippenberg, I. S., Timmermans, D. R., Weber, M., Okan, Y., Van Gils, C. H., Broeders, M. J., & Damman, O. C. (2025). Assessing the Impact of Visualizations of Quantitative and Qualitative Risk Information on the Comprehension of Hypothetical Risk-Based Breast Cancer Screening Results. Health Communication, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2025.2582779