The P-A-C-I-E-N-T-E Protocol: An instrument for breaking bad news adapted to the Brazilian medical reality

Interprofessional collaboration between health professional learners when breaking bad news: a scoping review of teaching approaches

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review was to examine teaching approaches used to teach interprofessional health professional learners how to break bad news collaboratively.

INTRODUCTION

When breaking bad news, health professionals must be equipped to deliver it skillfully and collaboratively; however, the literature shows that this skill receives little attention in program curricula. Consequently, health professionals can feel inadequately prepared to deliver bad news, which may lead to increased burnout, distress, and compassion fatigue.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Studies that describe teaching approaches used to teach learners how to break bad news collaboratively were considered for inclusion. Studies must have included 2 or more undergraduate and/or postgraduate learners working toward a professional health or social care qualification/degree at a university or college. Studies including lay, complementary and alternative, or non-health/social care learners were excluded. Due to the primary language of the research team, only English articles were included.

METHODS

The JBI 3-step process was followed for developing the search. Databases searched included MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Embase, Education Resource Complete (EBSCOhost), and Social Work Abstracts (EBSCOhost). The initial search was conducted on February 11, 2021, and was updated on May 17, 2022. Title and abstract screening and data extraction were completed by 2 independent reviewers. Disagreements were resolved through discussion or with a third reviewer. Results are presented in tabular or diagrammatic format, together with a narrative summary.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were included in the scoping review, with a range of methodologies and designs (pre/post surveys, qualitative, feasibility, mixed methods, cross-sectional, quality improvement, and methodological triangulation). The majority of papers were from the United States (n=8; 61.5%). All but 1 study used simulation-enhanced interprofessional education as the preferred method to teach interprofessional cohorts of learners how to break bad news. The bulk of simulations were face-to-face (n=11; 84.6%). Three studies (23.1%) were reported as high fidelity, while the remainder did not disclose fidelity. All studies that used simulation to teach students how to break bad news utilized simulated participants/patients to portray patients and/or family in the simulations. The academic level of participants varied, with the majority noted as undergraduate (n=7; 53.8%); 3 studies (23.1%) indicated a mix of undergraduate and graduate participants, 2 (15.4%) were graduate only, and 1 (7.7%) was not disclosed. There was a range of health professional programs represented by participants, with medicine and nursing equally in the majority (n=10; 76.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

Simulation-enhanced interprofessional education was the most reported teaching approach to teach interprofessional cohorts of students how to break bad news collaboratively. Inconsistencies were noted in the language used to describe bad news, use of breaking bad news and interprofessional competency frameworks, and integration of interprofessional education and simulation best practices. Further research should focus on other interprofessional approaches to teaching how to break bad news; how best to incorporate interprofessional competencies into interprofessional breaking bad news education; whether interprofessional education is enhancing collaborative breaking bad news; and whether what is learned about breaking bad news is being retained over the long-term and incorporated into practice. Future simulation-specific research should explore whether and how the Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice are being implemented and whether simulation is resulting in student satisfaction and enhanced learning.

Breaking Bad News During Prenatal Screening: The Role of Professional Obstetricians and Midwives in Greece

INTRODUCTION

Breaking bad news is one of the most difficult responsibilities in medical practice. Although medical staff in clinical practice often encounter situations that necessitate the announcement of unpleasant news, there is a lack of training regarding their communication with patients and their families. Effective interaction between medical staff and pregnant women constitutes a crucial component of breaking down unpleasant news. This research aimed to investigate the knowledge and attitude of health professionals, particularly obstetricians, and midwives, regarding the announcement of bad news during prenatal screening.

METHODS

The study was conducted between September 2017 and April 2018. One hundred professional obstetricians and midwives involved in fetal and prenatal medicine in Greece were part of the study. The study consisted of two parts: the first covered the emotional state of healthcare professionals during the announcement of unpleasant news, and the second covered the appropriate way to inform unpleasant results during prenatal testing.

RESULTS

In this study, only 41% of the participants considered that they felt comfortable discussing issues related to the diagnosis of an unpleasant result during prenatal testing with the pregnant woman/patient, or her relatives, and 85% accepted that they had experienced feelings of sadness, anxiety, or guilt when announcing unpleasant results. Furthermore, 87% of the participants believed that the non-verbal communication component (eye contact, body language) plays an important role in breaking bad news. Finally, 65% considered that prolonged monitoring of the ultrasound screen during prenatal screening does not increase the anxiety of pregnant women when carried out for a better medical opinion.

CONCLUSIONS

Delivering bad news during prenatal screening creates stress for the parents. As far as the ethical, cultural, psychological, and legal complicity of healthcare professionals is concerned, communicating unpleasant news has been a subject of discussion by many experts. It is important to understand the concerns of women regarding the risks of counseling.

Communication strategies used by medical physicians when delivering bad news at the Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Physicians' communication with patients and their families is important during both the disease diagnosis and prognosis stages and through the follow-up process. Effective physician communication improves patients' quality of life and satisfaction with care and helps reduce suffering for those newly diagnosed with advanced progressive illnesses. This study aims to identify the communication strategies physicians use in the transition to palliative care and how these professionals perceive their academic and clinical preparation concerning this task.

METHODS

A cross-sectional and quantitative study. Physicians providing palliative care at the Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique, were invited to complete a 17-question questionnaire. This questionnaire was based on a Brazilian adaptation of the Setting-Perception-Invitation-Knowledge-Emotions-Strategy (SPIKES) tool, the P-A-C-I-E-N-T-E protocol, with additional questions regarding socio-demographic details and the integration of "communication of bad news" into hospital training.

RESULTS

Of the 121 participants, 62 (51.2%) were male, and 110 (90.9%) were general practitioners, with a median age of 36 years old. They had worked in clinical practice for a median of 8 years and in their current department for three years. The majority of the participants considered that they have an acceptable or good level of bad news communication skills and believed that they do it in a clear and empathic way, paying attention to the patient's requests and doubts; however, most were not aware of the existing tools to assist them in this task and suggested that delivering bad news ought to be integrated into the undergraduate medical course and included in hospital training.

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds to our understanding of physicians' strategies when communicating bad news in the context of palliative care at one Mozambique hospital. As palliative care is not fully implemented in Mozambique, it is important to use protocols suitable to the country's healthcare level to improve how doctors deal with patients and their family members.

Position paper: Teaching breaking bad news (BBN) to undergraduate medical students

Sharing new medical information that is perceived as seriously effecting people's lives, i.e., breaking bad news (BBN) is important in caring for patients and relatives and is challenging for healthcare professionals. Optimal BBN requires incorporation and implementation of multiple professional competencies acquired gradually throughout years of training. The BBN encounter has implications for all participants: the patient, family members, their close social environments, and the deliverer of the news. Due to these implications and the accountability involved, medical schools invest educational resources in helping medical students develop this competency. The current paper summarizes literature, research, and teaching experiences while suggesting practical guidelines for designing and teaching a BBN course to undergraduate students. The following principles lie behind the recommendations: stepwise spiral continuity of exposure to and teaching of communication skills in various contexts while focusing on BBN in the advanced clinical years; relating the developing skills to broader humanistic studies; enhancing awareness of self-perspectives and beliefs regarding BBN; connecting to patients' and family members experiences and needs; providing a BBN protocol and opportunities for structured experiential learning followed by reflection and feedback; using observation and reflection to address gaps between theory and real-life practice; and creating continuity of learning about BBN through undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education. Applying this learning process can help enhance the management of these difficult conversations to improve patients' care during these difficult, life-changing encounters, and physicians' well-being.

A Journey toward Immediate Denture: Overcoming Bitter Reality with Psychotherapy

The loss of teeth affects the aesthetics, function (mastication and speech), confidence, mental state, and the overall quality of life of an individual. Aggressive periodontitis is a destructive condition leading to loss of teeth at early stages of the disease. Individuals facing this inevitable condition of losing the teeth and replacement at a younger age experience formidable psychological distress. The prosthodontic procedure when supported with psychotherapeutic interventions can support the patient in accepting the prognosis and treatment. We report the scenario where psychological intervention was provided in a systematic manner adopting the SPIKES protocol for a 42-year-old man presenting with aggressive periodontitis.

Breaking bad news in a cross-language context: A qualitative study to develop a set of culturally and linguistically appropriate phrases and techniques with Zulu speaking cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

Breaking bad news (BBN) in healthcare is common. Guidelines abound but little is documented in an African context. We wanted to describe Zulu speaking patients' BBN experience and assess their opinions of internationally recommended techniques.

METHODS

BBN techniques were highlighted from the literature using systematic review methods. Semi-structured focus group interviews with Zulu speaking cancer patients were conducted. Data were analysed using Framework Analysis.

RESULTS

Language concordance was central - regardless of whether this necessitated a nurse acting as translator. While non-abandonment, empathy and maintenance of hope was valued by participants, an oft-expressed belief in positive outcomes accounted for mixed responses to phrases implying ambiguity. In contrast, "I wish" phrases were appreciated. Silence received mixed responses with a strong dislike for silence as a front for non-disclosure.

CONCLUSION

Language-related concerns dictated the bulk of participants BBN perspectives. While cultural and linguistic differences exist, good communication skills, empathy and the maintenance of hope remain central.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

BBN in a language in which the patient is fluent, whether mediated or not, should be the standard of care. Cultural and linguistic variance must be born in mind and clinicians should become familiar with the preferences of the communities they serve.

Breaking Bad News in Obstetrics and Gynecology: We Must Talk About It

Breaking bad news is common in obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyn). However, it is difficult, and few doctors receive training on how to deal with this situation. This narrative review aims to gather, analyze, and synthesize part of the knowledge on the area, focused on Ob-Gyn. Among the 16 selected articles, two are randomized controlled intervention studies, and most studies refer to obstetrics. The results found by us pointed out that simulation, feedback/debriefing, lectures, and protocols could improve doctors' performance in communicating bad news. For patients, the context and how the information is transmitted seem to impact more than the content of the news. Ob-Gyn doctors could benefit from specific protocols and education, given the specialty's particularities. There is a lack of evidence about the most effective way to conduct such training. Finding validated ways to quantify and classify studies' results in the area, which would allow for the objective analysis of outcomes, is one of the biggest challenges concerning this topic.

The "CONNECT" Protocol: Delivering Bad News by Phone or Video Call

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the principles of communication within the health-care setting. Communication skills as developed for use in the context of a direct and personal encounter have become insufficient. As a result, numerous health professionals came to believe they were not sufficiently prepared to deliver bad news in relation to medical care. The CONNECT protocol is a tool designed to help health-care professionals in the delivery of such messages. The name of the protocol is an acronym derived from C - context, O - organization, NN - near and niceties, E - emotions, C - counseling, T - taking care. The objective of the protocol is to improve the effectiveness of the delivery of bad news in relation to medical care by ensuring proper organization of the key elements of the encounter with the patient and/or their family.

Truth, hope and the disclosure of a dementia diagnosis: A scoping review of the ethical considerations from the perspective of the person, carer and clinician

This paper explores contemporary approaches to balancing truth with the provision of hope during the disclosure of a dementia diagnosis. We discuss the ethical significance of these practices as they relate to each member of the triad - the person, the carer and the clinician - at the point of diagnosis and beyond. The process of disclosing a diagnosis of dementia is complex. It encompasses breaking bad news while balancing hope, with truth about a progressive life-limiting condition. The process of receiving the diagnosis likewise challenges the person who may be unprepared for the diagnosis, while carers seek information and supports. The impact of receiving a diagnosis of dementia can be life-changing and harmful at the personal level - for both the person and carer. This risk of harm becomes a critical consideration for clinicians when deciding on the level of truth: what information should be relayed and to whom? That risk is also balanced against the ethical issue of patient autonomy, which includes the right to know (or not) and make informed decisions about therapeutic interventions. While the consensus is that the autonomy of the person living with dementia must be upheld, controversy exists regarding the extent to which this should occur. For instance, at diagnosis, it is common for clinicians to use euphemisms rather than the word dementia to maintain hope, even though people and carers prefer to know the diagnosis. This practice of therapeutic lying is a pervasive ethical issue in dementia care, made more acceptable by its roots in diagnosis disclosure.

Da técnica à tékhnē: comunicação de notícias difíceis em unidade de terapia intensiva pediátrica

RESUMO Objetivo compreender as percepções de familiares de crianças hospitalizadas em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Pediátrica diante da comunicação de notícias difíceis. Método estudo fenomenológico com 15 familiares de crianças hospitalizadas em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Pediátrica de um hospital universitário público do estado de São Paulo. Entrevistas foram realizadas no período de outubro de 2018 a março de 2019. A compreensão dos discursos se deu à luz da fenomenologia existencial heideggeriana. Resultados duas categorias ontológicas emergiram: O familiar da criança existindo em um mundo impróprio; e O familiar da criança vislumbrando a essência da técnica. O familiar recebe as notícias difíceis dos profissionais de saúde na instrumentalidade, emergindo a necessidade de extrapolar a técnica em busca da sua essência. Conclusão e implicações para a prática os discursos revelam que a tecnologia moderna se sobrepõe à ontologia tradicional, uma vez que o profissional de saúde, ao comunicar as notícias difíceis, afasta-se do ser e perde-se de sua essência. O aprimoramento de competências interpessoais e de comunicação dos profissionais de saúde pode extrapolar a dimensão técnica, prevalente em terapia intensiva.

From technology to tékhnē: communication of bad news in pediatric intensive care unit

ABSTRACT Objective to understand the perceptions of family members of children hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit regarding the communication of bad news. Methods this is a phenomenological study with 15 family members of children hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of a public university hospital in the state of São Paulo. Interviews were carried out from October 2018 to March 2019. The discourses were understood grounded Heidegger’s existential phenomenology. Results two ontological categories emerged: The child’s family member existing in an inappropriate world; and The child’s family member glimpsing the essence of technology. Family members receive difficult news from health professionals in the instrumentality, emerging the need to extrapolate the technology in search of its essence. Conclusions and implications for practice the discourses reveal that modern technology overlaps with traditional ontology, since health professionals, when communicating difficult news, move away from the being and lose their essence. Health professionals’ improving interpersonal and communication skills can extrapolate the technical dimension, prevalent in intensive care.

Comunicação de más notícias no trabalho médico: um olhar do paciente com prognóstico reservado

Resumo O processo de comunicação é central na relação médico-paciente. É fato que para evitar distanásia deve se dispor dos cuidados paliativos como alternativa. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a qualidade da comunicação de más notícias realizadas por médicos, na perspectiva de pacientes em processo de finitude, comparando seus índices entre aqueles em cuidados paliativos e em distanásia. Realizou-se uma pesquisa quantitativa, com amostra não probabilística, formada por 234 pacientes com câncer em processo de finitude, oriundos de cinco unidades hospitalares do Ceará, que responderam a dois questionários - um biodemográfico e outro de avaliação da comunicação, analisados por meio de estatística descritiva e bivariada. Os resultados demonstraram a importância da relação médico-paciente. Enquanto os pacientes em distanásia expressaram terem sido melhor preparados para o estabelecimento de uma adequada comunicação, os que estavam em cuidados paliativos relataram uma experiência menos negativa em relação à ‘comunicação de más notícias’ - fruto de um adequado preparo do médico paliativista, bem como da participação efetiva da família na decisão terapêutica. Conclui-se que as etapas de preparação para a comunicação, transmissão da informação, acolhimento e fechamento devem estar baseadas na identificação do conteúdo prévio dos pacientes sobre a doença e suas expectativas de informação.

Breaking potentially bad news of cancer workup to well-informed patients by telephone versus in-person: A randomised controlled trial on psychosocial consequences

BACKGROUND

The use of telephone in delivering cancer care increases, but not in cancer workup. Current protocols for breaking bad news assume a single in-person meeting. Cancer workup involves multiple opportunities for patient information. We investigated the psychosocial consequences in gradually informed patients of receiving lung cancer workup results by telephone versus in-person.

METHODS

A randomised, controlled, open-label, assessor-blinded, single-centre trial including patients referred for invasive workup for suspected malignancy (clinical trials no. NCT04315207). Patients were informed on probable cancer at referral, after imaging, and on the day of invasive workup (Baseline visit). Primary endpoint: change (Δ) from baseline to follow-up (4 weeks after receiving workup results) in scores of a validated, sensitive, condition-specific questionnaire (COS-LC) assessing consequences on anxiety, behaviour, dejection and sleep.

RESULTS

Of 492 eligible patients, we randomised 255 patients (mean age: 68 years; female: 38%; malignancy diagnosed: 68%) to the telephone (n = 129) or in-person (n = 126) group. Groups were comparable at baseline and follow-up, and no between-groups difference in ΔCOS-LC was observed in the intention-to-treat population, or in subgroups diagnosed with or without malignancy.

CONCLUSION

Breaking final result of cancer workup by telephone is not associated with adverse psychosocial consequences compared to in-person conversation in well-informed patients.

Scientific production in oncological palliative care with emphasis in communication

SUMMARY Communication is a facilitating tool in palliative care, enabling the development of a therapeutic process based on universal humanistic values, with benefits for the team, cancer patient, and family. This theme is of great importance and highlights the significant contributions to clinical practice in the context of palliative care in oncology with an emphasis on communication.

Knowledge, applicability and importance attributed by nursing undergraduates to communicative strategies

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the knowledge, applicability and importance that nursing students attribute to therapeutic communicative strategies.

METHODS

This is a quantitative study (survey) with nursing undergraduates from a public institution. The online questionnaire by the SurveyMonkey tool, comprising the informed consent form and six questions, had its relevance, clarity and operability assessed by experts.

RESULTS

Of the 104 graduates, 50 participated in the study; the most well-known and applied strategy was Therapeutic Communication, followed by Ask-Tell-Ask, NURSE and Tell Me More; the least were PACIENTE and SPIKES. Most use the strategies they know best; all were considered important by at least 82% of the students.

CONCLUSIONS

The partial knowledge and application of these strategies by the students contributes to reflect on the complexity of their teaching-learning process.

Breaking Bad News: A contextual model for Pakistan

Objectives:

The purpose of the study was to identify the sequence of violence that ensues after breaking bad news and develop a contextual model of breaking bad news and develop a model contextual for Pakistan.

Methods:

A qualitative exploratory study was conducted using Six FGDs and 14 IDIs with healthcare providers working in the emergency and the obstetrics and gynecology departments of tertiary care hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. Data was transcribed and analyzed to identify emerging themes and subthemes using thematic content analysis.

Results:

Impatience or lack of tolerance, lack of respect towards healthcare providers, unrealistic expectations from healthcare facility or healthcare staff were identified as main reasons that provoked violence after breaking bad news. A conceptual five step model was developed to guide communication of bad news by the health care providers. On initial testing the model was found to be effective in de-escalation of violence.

Conclusion:

Communication of bad news requires application of specific approaches to deal with contextual challenges for reducing violence against healthcare.

A standardized low-cost peer role-playing training intervention improves medical student competency in communicating bad news to patients in Botswana

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate effectiveness of an educational training workshop using role-playing to teach medical students in Botswana to deliver bad news.

METHOD

A 3-hour small group workshop for University of Botswana medical students rotating at the Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone was developed. The curriculum included an overview of communication basics and introduction of the validated (SPIKES) protocol for breaking bad news. Education strategies included didactic lecture, handouts, role-playing cases, and open forum discussion. Pre- and posttraining surveys assessed prior exposure and approach to breaking bad news using multiple-choice questions and perception of skill about breaking bad news using a 5-point Likert scale. An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) with a standardized breaking bad news skills assessment was conducted; scores compared two medical student classes before and after the workshop was implemented.ResultForty-two medical students attended the workshop and 83% (35/42) completed the survey. Medical students reported exposure to delivering bad news on average 6.9 (SD = 13.7) times monthly, with 71% (25/35) having delivered bad news themselves without supervision. Self-perceived skill and confidence increased from 23% (8/35) to 86% (30/35) of those who reported feeling "good" or "very good" with their ability to break bad news after the workshop. Feedback after the workshop demonstrated that 100% found the SPIKES approach helpful and planned to use it in clinical practice, found role-playing helpful, and requested more sessions. Competency for delivering bad news increased from a mean score of 14/25 (56%, SD = 3.3) at baseline to 18/25 (72%, SD = 3.6) after the workshop (p = 0.0002).Significance of resultsThis workshop was effective in increasing medical student skill and confidence in delivering bad news. Standardized role-playing communication workshops integrated into medical school curricula could be a low-cost, effective, and easily implementable strategy to improve communication skills of doctors.