Health-Related Basic Numerical Literacy

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the very basic numerical skills of health professionals and the general public, to correctly understand the health information that comes to them routinely. The importance of mathematical and statistical literacy cannot be overstated so that informed consent can take place and adequate joint decision-making between doctor and patient can happen. The goal is todecrease the number of interventions and increase the quality of the services provided, reducing healthcare spending as a result. The competences measured in this study encompasses basic but fundamental concepts related to risk, such as the comparison of risks for its correct assessment, the estimation of the reduction of unwanted effects in a group from the reduction in the number of unwanted effects in another group of a different size (absolute risk reduction), the recognition that the bases are necessary to be able to compare absolute frequencies between two groups, and the knowledge and perception that lowering all-cause mortality provides better evidence of benefit than lowering single-cause mortality. The results indicate a need to strengthen the numerical and statistical education of the general community, specifically physicians and nurses.