Communicating bad news

The need to communicate bad news to patients and their families is common in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. Although this is one of the most important interactions between caregivers and their patients, most physicians receive little or no formal education on the process of communicating bad news. Recipients of bad news favor being informed by a physician familiar to them, in the presence of support persons, and with provision of adequate medical information and referrals. The physician who imparts bad news should approach this communication directly and with a caring attitude, sensitive to both the informational content and emotional reaction. The objectives of this article are to review the literature regarding the process of communicating bad news and to set forth a set of general guidelines by which practitioners can communicate bad news more effectively and compassionately.