Original Articles
21 September 2022
Vol. 44 No. 3 (2022)
Communicating bad news: attitudes and modes of communication of the health professions
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Background. Information regarding ominous prognoses, which may cause concern and distress, should be provided carefully and cautiously, using non-traumatizing terminology, accommodating the patient's fears, and not excluding elements of hope.
Goal. To analyze the difficulties of health care providers in the process of communicating bad news.
Materials and Methods. An observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted from March to August 2021 among Italian Physicians and Nurses.
Results. The results of the study indicate a greater participation of Nurse practitioners than Physicians, a fact that may indicate how necessary it is, to overcome the belief that the communication of bad news is of exclusive medical relevance. Among the participants in the study, about half, equal to 46.7% stated that they had no specific training, while the remainder claimed to have attended master's or higher education courses in 8.5% of cases, 23% attended conferences, while 21.8% acquired their skills through work experience.
Conclusions. The communication of bad news, needs to be recognized in the same way as those procedures that characterize care itself, and for which the highest possible quality is sought.
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How to Cite
Communicating bad news: attitudes and modes of communication of the health professions. (2022). Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 44(3), 376-384. https://doi.org/10.4081/gimle.572
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