Breaking bad news: patients’ perspectives of the information process in a general surgery outpatient clinic survey

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the perspectives of the patients admitted to a general surgery outpatient clinic towards the processes of being informed and receiving bad news. A questionnaire developed by the authors was provided to 319 patients. The scoring of some statements was based on a 5-item Likert scale, while other statement scoring was based on an 11-item Likert scale. Of all, 74.1% of the participants stated that “the doctor’s way of communicating information to them” is absolutely important, while 49.2% stated that “to whom the physician will communicate a bad news /malignant illness about oneself ” is also of absolute importance. In case of a malignant illness, statements emphasizing that only the patient is to be notified have been adopted more commonly. Single participants stated it was more important to be personally notified first, rather than their relatives. The long-held idea that the patient may be affected by bad news and disrupt his/her treatment is no longer a consideration by patients. Even if their relatives are involved in the process in the later stages of the disease, the patients wish to hear the news first themselves.