When it comes to delivering fatal news, doctors struggle with finding the right words. They procrastinate and often exaggerate how long a patient has to live, according to a
survey by the University of Chicago. The findings suggest an urgent need for hospitals to conduct workshops on helping physicians more effectively communicate fatal information to
dying patients and their families.
The study questioned 258 doctors about what they told their patients before they were admitted to a hospice. The doctors were responsible for 326 terminally ill cancer
patients. The study found that:
- only 37% of the doctors preferred "frank disclosure" in telling patients how fatal their conditions were;
- nearly 27% opted not to tell their patients at all about their fates; and
- 40% said they would evade the issue.
Cancer specialists say they tend to be overly optimistic in forecasting how long a terminal patient will live because it is difficult to determine a realistic estimate,
according to the report.
When confronted with this issue, the report suggests that doctors should listen sympathetically to a patient's distress and carefully describe a prognosis so that the patient
doesn't feel misled.
(University of Chicago, 773/702-8366)