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[A structured course for primary care physicians on breaking bad news]
1Family Medicine Dept., Kupat Holim Klalit Health Services, Western Galilee District, Haifa.
Harefuah
|November 4, 2000
Summary
Physicians often struggle with breaking bad news due to emotional challenges. A comprehensive training program improved physicians' communication skills and confidence in handling difficult patient encounters.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Communication Skills
- Psychology
Context:
- Physicians frequently deliver bad news, facing challenges like emotional distress and perceived incompetence.
- Existing educational programs for breaking bad news are often brief and lack depth.
- Physicians report difficulties managing patient emotions and their own during these conversations.
Purpose:
- To describe a comprehensive 14-session course for physicians on breaking bad news.
- To address physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and personal experiences related to delivering bad news.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented training program.
Summary:
- A 14-session course, co-led by a family practitioner and social worker, incorporates stress management, crisis intervention, attitude clarification, and communication techniques.
- The program includes role-playing and discussions on managing patient emotions and the physician's own emotional responses.
- Participants reported enhanced communication skills relevant to patient care.
Impact:
- The course received a high satisfaction score (4.47/5) from participants.
- The training aims to improve physicians' competence and confidence in breaking bad news.
- Further assessment of practitioner competence is recommended to validate training efficacy.