Odense Risk Group (ORG) was established 10 years ago and founded by Ivar Sønbø Kristiansen, Jørgen Nexøe, Dorte Gyrd-Hansen, and Jesper Bo Nielsen based on a mutual interest in medical risk analysis and medical risk communication. ORG operates as a dynamic and open network of researchers from health sciences, health economics, psychology and health promotion and is presently headed by Professor Jesper Bo Nielsen. Besides Danish members, the group has members from Norway, Wales, UK and the US.
Research on medical risk communication is centred on the physician/general practitioner (GP) and the medical decisions based on interactions with patients and health authorities.
The research relates to
- Understanding and communicating risk and risk reduction in the context of chronic disease processes including causes and treatment options
- How doctors and lay people comprehend information about interventions slowing down chronic disease processes and reducing the risk of adverse health outcomes
- How to make risk information understandable to decision-makers
- The monetary value of health improvements and risk reductions
In short, our aim is to help patients and doctors make informed and balanced decisions that maximise desirable outcomes and minimise undesirable outcomes.
Methodologically, ORG has mainly relied on questionnaires used in face-to-face interviews, internet surveys or discrete choice experiments with respondents/informants being patients, GPs, or representative samples from the general Danish population. Outcomes have often been acceptance of treatment, preferences, or willingness to pay.
Future plans include more studies related to clinical decisions by patients and doctors with focus on the premises for good shared decision making. Further, ORG intend to take advantage of a personalised medical prescription data base placed at the institute, which allows studies on adherence to treatment.
The group has a strong and persistent publication record in relation to medical decision making and intends to be present at international meetings or conferences within risk communication.
Presently ORG holds following researchers:
- Dorte Gyrd-Hansen, Danish Centre for Health Economics (DaCHE), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Jesper Bo Nielsen, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Ivar Sønbø Kristiansen, Center for Health Policy, Stanford University; Standford, England
- Jørgen Nexøe, Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Arthur Elstein, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
- Peder A. Halvorsen, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
- Charlotte Gry Harmsen, Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Henrik Støvring, Department of Public Health - Institute of Biostatistics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Adrian Edwards, School of Medicine, University of Cardiff, England
- Palle Mark Christensen, Quality and Training, Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Torbjørn Wisløff, Nasjonalt kunnskapssenterfor helsetjenesten, Oslo, Norge
- Trine Kjær, Danish Centre for Health Economics (DaCHE), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Jytte Seested Nielsen, Newcastle University, Newcastle, England
- Brian Køster, Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Dorte Ejg Jarbøl, Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Benedicte Lind Barfoed, Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Mette Kjer Kaltoft, Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Jack Dowie, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, England
- Janus Laust Thomsen, DAK-E, Odense, Denmark
- Arja R. Aro, Health Promotion, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
- Anja Leppin, Health Promotion, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark
Posters
Determinants for rejecting a preventive treatment against heart disease
Visual Risk Communication Based on a Dynamic Decision Aid - The DANY project