File(s) not publicly available
Communicating sad, bad, and difficult news in medicine
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 15:57 authored by Lesley FallowfieldLesley Fallowfield, Valerie JenkinsValerie JenkinsIn every medical specialty bad, sad, and difficult information must be given to patients and their families. An insensitive approach increases the distress of recipients of bad news, may exert a lasting impact on their ability to adapt and adjust, and can lead to anger and an increased risk of litigation. Many doctors also find these interactions stressful, and in the absence of much effective training they may adopt inappropriate ways of delivering bad news and coping with the emotional fall-out. Recognition of these difficulties has led to many initiatives, ranging from increased communication skills training to the development of guidelines and protocols. We review some of the research on the impact that giving sad, bad, and difficult news has on doctors and patients, and assess whether interventions are helping. We focus mainly on difficulties encountered involving parents in an obstetric or paediatric setting, people in acute trauma situations such as accident and emergency departments, and patients with cancer.
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
LancetISSN
0140-6736Publisher
ElsevierPublisher URL
External DOI
Issue
9405Volume
363Page range
312-9Department affiliated with
- Sussex Health Outcomes Research & Education in Cancer (SHORE-C) Publications
Notes
1474-547x Journal ArticleFull text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2011-08-26Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Attitude of Health PersonnelAttitude to Health*CommunicationGreat BritainHumansMedical Oncology/education/methodsObstetrics/education/methodsPediatrics/education/methods*Physician-Patient RelationsPractice GuidelinesProfessional-Family RelationsResearch SupportNon-U.S. Gov't*Truth DisclosureUnited States
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC