Numerical Reasoning in Judgments and Decision Making about Health

This book discusses numerical reasoning in healthcare from a variety of perspectives. Includes in-depth analyses of numeracy research as well as large-scale discussions about the application of these findings to policies and best-practices. This book will appeal to academics, students, healthcare providers, patients and policy makers.

Every day thousands of individuals need to make critical decisions about their health based on numerical information, yet recent surveys have found that over half the population of the United States is unable to complete basic math problems. How does this lack of numerical ability (also referred to as low numeracy, quantitative illiteracy or statistical illiteracy) impact healthcare? What can be done to help people with low numeracy skills? Numerical Reasoning in Judgments and Decision Making about Health addresses these questions by examining and explaining the impact of quantitative illiteracy on healthcare and in specific healthcare contexts, and discussing what can be done to reduce these healthcare disparities. This book will be a useful resource for professionals in many health fields including academics, policy makers, physicians and other healthcare providers.