There is increasing attention to presenting potential benefits and harms of treatments and lifestyle choices in a balanced and transparent way. Prof. Spiegelhalter discusses some proposals for how this might be done, focusing on alternative ways in which numbers and graphics may be used, and emphasizing the role of interactive animations and videos. Recent research on public preferences and understanding of different formats strongly suggests that one size does not fit all, and a range of alternative presentations may be appropriate.

Prof. Spiegelhalter is Winton Professor of the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge, where he is also a senior scientist in the Medical Research Council Biostatistics Unit. His background is in medical statistics, particularly the use of Bayesian methods in clinical trials, health technology assessment, and drug safety. He led the statistical team in the Bristol Royal Infirmary Inquiry and also gave evidence to the Shipman Inquiry. Prof. Spiegelhalter has been a consultant to a number of public and private organizations, including pharmaceutical companies. In his current post, he leads a small team that is attempting to improve the way in which the quantitative aspects of risk and uncertainty are discussed in society. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 2005 and awarded an Order of the British Empire in 2006 for services to medical statistics.