Breaking bad news: Patients' preferences and health locus of control

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

IP Carvalho (Author) FMUP; R Martins (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Patient Education and Counseling

Vol. 92

Pages: 67-73

ISSN: 0738-3991

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 16 Citations

Scopus - 22 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-9NF

DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2013.03.001

Abstract (EN): Objective: To identify patients' preferences for models of communicating bad news and to explore how such preferences, and the reasons for the preferences, relate with personality characteristics, specifically patients' health locus of control (HLC): internal/external and 'powerful others' (PO). Methods: Seventy-two patients from an oncology clinic watched videotaped scenarios of a breaking bad news moment, selected the model they preferred, filled an HLC scale and were interviewed about their choices. Data were analyzed with Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. Interviews were content-analyzed. Results: 77.8% preferred an "empathic professional", 12.5% a "distanced expert" and 9.7% an "emotionally burdened expert". Preferences varied significantly with HLC scores (patients with higher internal locus of control (ILC) and lower PO preferred the empathic model), presence of cancer, age and education. Patients explained their preferences through aspects of Caring, Professionalism, Wording, Time and Hope. ILC registered significant differences in regards to Wording and Time, whereas PO was associated with Hope and Time. Conclusions: HLC is an important dimension that can help doctors to better know their patients. Practice implications: Knowing whether patients attribute their health to their own behaviors or to chance/others can help tailor the disclosure of bad news to their specific preferences.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 7