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Giving bad news: a GPs' narrative perspective
Summary
General practitioners (GPs) manage difficult patient consultations by focusing on reassurance and their own emotions. Their approaches range from doctor-centered to patient-centered communication when delivering bad news.
Area of Science:
- Medical Communication
- Qualitative Research
- General Practice
Background:
- Delivering bad news is a critical aspect of medical practice.
- Understanding physicians' perspectives is key to improving patient communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore general practitioners' (GPs) perspectives on delivering bad news to patients.
- To identify common themes and relational patterns in these consultations.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of 168 GPs' recalled experiences of delivering bad news.
- Interpretative approach to identify relational and ethical axes in narratives.
Main Results:
- Two relational patterns emerged: doctor-centered (focus on disease, doctor's decision) and patient-centered (prioritizing patient's right to decide).
- Common themes included the need to reassure patients and GPs' management of their own emotions.
- GPs consistently viewed reassuring patients as a fundamental duty.
Conclusions:
- GPs' communication styles when delivering bad news vary, with some prioritizing the patient's autonomy.
- Managing personal emotions and reassuring patients are significant challenges for GPs in these situations.