| Amorim and collaborators; 2021 1 |
To find out how nurses communicate difficult news in primary care. |
15 nurses (not shown), not shown. |
Semi-structured interview |
Professionals find it difficult to communicate with older and younger users. The use of unfamiliar terms hinders the communication process. Professionals reported that they try to deliver difficult news in a private environment. |
| Diniz and collaborators; 2018 2 |
To compare physicians’ and patients’ perception regarding the communication of bad news. |
200 patients (71.5%), 34.9 years old. 100 physicians (49%), 43.4 years old. |
Closed questionnaire |
32.3% of physicians reported that the most difficult task was talking about palliative care. 92.5% found it difficult to talk about death with patients’ relatives. 61.2% did not feel comfortable dealing with patients’ reactions. |
| Ribeiro, Silva, Silva; 2020 3 |
To understand how the communication of bad news has emotional repercussions on the physicians who carry it out. |
Seven physicians (not shown), not shown. |
Semi-structured interview |
Telling the patient the truth is an important part of communicating bad news. Most of the interviewees expressed feelings of sadness and anguish when the news was told to a young patient. |
| Lobo, Leal; 2020 9 |
To analyze the process of disclosure of diagnosis and psychosocial consequences in cancer patients and to describe the communication process. |
Ten patients (40%), 51.5 years old. |
Semi-structured interview |
The interviewees were diagnosed according to the SPIKES protocol. Three reported welcoming care and two reported not having been welcomed. |
| Neumayer and collaborators; 2018 10 |
To know the effect of the cancer diagnosis on the patient and their suggestion on how to communicate the diagnosis. |
30 patients (66.7%), 61.5 years old. |
Semi-structured interview |
Patients considered the communication to be adequate, with clear and calm speech. The establishment of a bond and the knowledge shown by the physician were also considered positive. Associating cancer with the reality that everyone will die one day was considered inappropriate. The excess of information given by the physician had a negative effect. |
| Meneses, Castelli, Costa; 2018 11 |
To evaluate the perception of health professionals in the diagnosis of brain death and to identify the psychosocial variables of the professional-family relationship at the time of communication. |
20 professionals (not shown), 42.7 years old. |
Semi-structured interview |
There is no homogeneity in the procedures for carrying out interviews to obtain consent for organ donation from brain-dead patients. Only seven of the 20 interviewees (35%) indicated the need for health professionals to be trained in communicating bad news in cases of brain death. |
| Jorge and collaborators; 2019 13 |
To understand the preferences of elderly people about their limited life span in a situation of serious illness, with less than a year to live. |
400 elderly participants (60.3%), 70 years old. |
Closed questionnaire |
In the event of a serious illness with less than a year to live, 74% of older people stated that they would like to know about their limited time to live. However, this preference was lower than wanting to know about the symptoms and problems arising from the illness (89.3%) and the options available for healthcare (96.3%). |
| Ferraz and collaborators; 2022 14 |
Evaluate the dynamics of communicating bad news and identify aspects of communication in the physician-patient relationship. |
12 physicians (58.3%), 38.4 years old. |
Semi-structured interview |
The majority of professionals reported having had little or no discussion about communicating difficult news and protocols during their academic training. The professionals complained about the lack of adequate space and time. |
| Haas, Brust-Renck; 2022 15 |
To understand how physicians perceive the process of communicating bad news and to identify the factors in this process. |
15 physicians (80%), 37.3 years old. |
Closed questionnaire |
60% of physicians reported concern about the communication environment. 80% respect the patient’s privacy. 66.7% reported an inability to deal with patient/family feelings. 60% stated that the situation becomes more difficult when the diagnosis is sudden and unforeseen. |
| Oliveira-Cardoso and collaborators; 2018 16 |
To understand how patients receive the diagnosis of a life-threatening disease. |
17 patients (not shown), 31 years old. |
Semi-structured interview |
Physicians find it difficult to communicate the diagnosis clearly, contributing to referrals being made without proper explanation of the disease. Many patients reported the use of technical terms as an obstacle to understanding their diagnosis. |
| Mattias and collaborators; 2018 17 |
To understand women’s feelings and perceptions when they are diagnosed with breast cancer. |
11 patients (100%), 50.5 years old. |
Open questionnaire |
The participants had feelings of surprise and apprehension. The will to live and the hope of a cure were evident. Family support favored adherence to treatment. They all reported seeking spiritual support during the diagnosis period. |
| Melo and collaborators; 2022 18 |
To evaluate the quality of the communication of bad news in the physician-patient relationship from the perspective of patients in the process of finitude and patients in palliative care and dysthanasia. |
234 patients (56%), 60.4 years old. |
Closed questionnaire |
The participants negatively evaluated the support received by the physician when communicating bad news. Physicians carried out the task of communicating without regard for prior knowledge. Dysthanasia patients had more opportunities to express their feelings, although the physicians of palliative care patients were more participative in the therapeutic decision with the family. |
| Amorim and collaborators; 2019 30 |
Knowing the barriers and facilitators to communicating difficult news in primary health care. |
15 nurses (100%), not shown. |
Semi-structured interview |
A space of privacy facilitates communication and fosters acceptance and bonding. The high demand for users and activities makes the communication process difficult. Prior knowledge of communication strategies helps the process. |
Communicating difficult news in the Brazilian context: a scoping review
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