My SciELO
Services on Demand
Journal
Article
Indicators
- Cited by SciELO
- Access statistics
Related links
- Cited by Google
- Similars in SciELO
- Similars in Google
Share
Medicina Intensiva
Print version ISSN 0210-5691
Abstract
GARCIA DIAZ, F.. Breaking bad news in medicine: strategies that turn necessity into a virtue. Med. Intensiva [online]. 2006, vol.30, n.9, pp.452-459. ISSN 0210-5691.
Breaking bad news is one of physician's most difficult duties. In spite of this, communication skills are considered a minor professional ability. Bad news is defined as any news that drastically and negatively alters the patient's view of his/her future. Patients never forget where, when and what bad news they were told. The factors that make communicating bad new difficult may come from the sociocultural setting of the patient or the doctor. Randomized studies have shown that communication learning skills may cause a positive impact on the person giving and receiving the bad news. In order to facilitate this task, a practical and dynamic 6-step protocol, described by Baile and Buckman, that may be useful for this task, is described.
Keywords : physician-patient relationship; breaking bad news; communication skills.