Main description:

This book demonstrates how a novel decision-aid, called a Benefit-Risk Characterization Theater (BRCT), can be used to:

* Significantly improve accurate communication of health risks from exposure to COVID-19; and

* Assess how to best contain and control COVID-19.

To date, there have been far-reaching ramifications based on ineffective risk communication when clarifying these health endpoints.

A BRCT is a familiar, theatrical chart representation of 1,000 people, with the risks and benefits shown by blackened seats. Since health outcomes can easily be put into such a chart, we show how BRCTs can be used objectively by professionals, the media and lay people. It allows characterization and communication of health benefits and risks of COVID-19 treatment and containment in an undemanding and straightforward way.BRCTs have been successfully used to assist patients in determining:

* Their level of acceptable risk of various medical interventions;

* If the benefits of intervention outweigh the risks;

* Who should make the final decision regarding medical intervention; and

* Whether the decision is evidence-based.

Written by experts in the field, this book fills in a gap in communication between the medical community, the public and patients. It also provides an area of expertise in communication that is beneficial for medical providers and medical students.

Contents:

PART I: Communicating Risk and Benefit in the Medical Community

Chapter 1. Patients, Doctors and Decision-making

Chapter 2. Absolute and Relative Risks

Chapter 3. Communicating health risks to patients and the public

Chapter 4. Erik's Recent Experience with Doctors and a Heart Attack

Chapter 5. Why not all numbers are the same.

Chapter 6. Putting BRCTs to use in helping people understand health outcomes

PART II: Videos to Describe the Utility of BRCTs

PART III: COVID-19 Communication

Chapter 7. Segue to Part III: BRCTs & COVID-19

Chapter 8. How important are the number of cases?

Chapter 9. The demographics of COVID-19

Chapter 10. Why COVID-19 Should Not Have Prevented Colleges (and Elementary and Secondary Schools) from Opening Last Fall

Chapter 11. Nursing homes, the nidus of COVID-19 death

Chapter 12. The use of universal masking

Chapter 13. Communicating about the impact of surges and quarantines

Chapter 14. Communicating about the adverse effects of the cure

Chapter 15. How we communicate about COVID-19 in other countries

Chapter 16. Other viral pandemics with reference to COVID-19

Chapter 17. A Path Forward: BRCTs for COVID-19 and Beyond