There is a lot of debate about how to give bad news to a patient in a culturally respectful manner. Some cultures value direct communication without any frills. Other cultures prefer to be more subtle. In certain cultures, the family will not want the patient to ever know the bad news about their condition.
What are the pros and cons of giving bad news in a subtle and oblique manner? Is there a benefit to shielding the patient from their diagnosis and prognosis?
VJ Periyakoil, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine.
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