Breaking bad news

Chapter 49 Breaking bad news




Why is it difficult?


There are several reasons why breaking bad news is an especially difficult task for doctors, irrespective of their age, speciality or professional experience. These may be personal (related to their own personality or past experience), social (to do with society’s attitudes), professional (influenced by role or peer values) or legal/political (Buckman, 1994). Some of these are listed in Box 1. In addition, it may be made more difficult if family members want to protect the person from bad news and distress (Kaye, 1996). Under these circumstances, the doctor may be asked to collude with the relatives in order to maintain a conspiracy of silence. This situation often puts strain on a previously healthy relationship both with the doctor and within the family, and can lead to feelings of mistrust and isolation on the part of the patient.


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Jun 10, 2016 | Posted by in PSYCHOLOGY | Comments Off on Breaking bad news

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