Abstract

MARTIN HERNANDEZ, Ivonne  and  TRUJILLO MATIENZO, Clemente. COMMUNICATING BAD NEWS TO PATIENTS WITH NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES: PHYSICIANS'S SKILLSCOMUNICAÇÃO DAS MÁS NOTICIAS AOS PACIENTES COM DOENÇAS NEURODEGENERATIVAS: HABILIDADES DO PESSOAL MÉDICO. rev.latinoam.bioet. [online]. 2009, vol.9, n.2, pp.76-85. ISSN 1657-4702.

Introduction: Patiens with neurodegenerative diseases and their families are facing a major crisis that causes intense emotional reactions. The basic skill to facilitate an appropriate response to the multiple needs of patients in this situation is communication. Aim: In Cuba there are few references to studies that describe this skill in our doctors, for this reason we set the objective of this work to identify the communication skills of medical professional that assist of these patients. Materials and methods: This study involved 98 physicians from the three levels of health care who were underwent a validated questionnaire. For the processing of numerical data statistical techniques were used such as frequency analysis and relative percent. SPSS 11.5 on Windows was employed as statistical system. Results: This research reaffirms that the model of doctor-patient relationship that is evident in our country is an active-passive with a paternalistic approach. We identified deficiencies in the communication process such as a preference not to communicate bad news or diagnosis to the patient, much less report the truth; ignorance or nonverbal assessment component of the communication; lack of empathy and mutual trust in the communication process; lack of exploration of what the patient knows and wants to know and is concerned, among others. Conclusions: This study revealed that many of the physicians surveyed did not have sufficiently developed communication skills.

Keywords : Bad news; comunication skills; Cuba; neurodegenerative diseases; physician-patient relationship.

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