Abstract
The importance of the topic of 'breaking bad news' to cancer patients is underscored by a recent Medline search, which revealed close to 500 articles published on this subject in the past ten years, and by the fact that the cancer clinician is likely to give bad news many thousands of times during the course of his or her career. Paradoxically, however, despite the argument for its importance, very few training programmes in oncology thoroughly cover the topic and provide adequate learning experiences for trainees. Only a minority of oncologists have formal training in breaking bad news and other key communication skills. This chapter reviews the concept of breaking bad news, highlighting salient points and controversies in the literature and making training recommendations. It considers a definition of bad news, why the topic is so important, the challenges to clinicians in breaking bad news, protocols for giving bad news, research on bad news disclosure, and directions for the future.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Handbook of Communication in Oncology and Palliative Care |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780191730290 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780199238361 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 17 2011 |
Keywords
- Bad news
- Cancer patients
- Clinicians
- Communication skills
- Disclosure
- Oncology
- Protocols
- Training
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Nursing