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The communication of neurological bad news to parents

Mohammed Jan1, John P Girvin

  • 1Department of Neurosciences, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. Le Journal Canadien Des Sciences Neurologiques
|February 23, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Communicating difficult neurological news to parents requires careful consideration. A physician's attitude, clear communication, and knowledge are crucial for positive outcomes when delivering bad neurological news.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Medical Communication
  • Pediatric Care

Background:

  • Delivering unexpected or disappointing neurological news to parents presents significant challenges.
  • Effective communication of such news is vital and can be a rewarding experience.
  • Limited physician guidance exists for communicating pediatric neurological bad news.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide general guidelines for physicians on communicating neurological bad news to parents.
  • To synthesize medical literature and clinical experience on this sensitive topic.
  • To improve the process of delivering difficult neurological diagnoses to families.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive review of existing medical literature.
  • In-depth discussions with numerous senior physicians across various medical systems.
  • Incorporation of the authors' extensive personal clinical experience.

Main Results:

  • The delivery of neurological bad news significantly impacts parental emotions, beliefs, and attitudes.
  • Families often experience emotional shock, upset, and depression following news of a poor neurological diagnosis.
  • Parents prioritize the physician's attitude, message clarity, and knowledge when receiving bad news.

Conclusions:

  • Physician communication strategies directly influence parental coping and perception.
  • Clear, empathetic, and knowledgeable delivery of neurological news is paramount.
  • Guidelines are needed to support physicians in this critical aspect of pediatric care.

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