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Communicating an unfavorable diagnosis during the physician-patient relationship: a role-playing experiment with medical students

The aimof this article is topresent role-playing as apractice forhumanization of the physician-patient relationship, as experienced by third-semestermedical students at the State University of Ceará (UECE), Brazil. Using a qualitative methodology, questions were applied relating to the students' feelings while playing the roles of doctor and patient, respectively, and their experience with the technique after its presentation in the classroom (n = 24).According to the findings, the topics thatwere approached related to serious illnesses andlosses. Bothin thepatient'sandphysician's role, thestudents feltanguish, powerlessness, apprehension, fear, and anxiety. They expressed difficulties towards both the diagnosis itself and communicating the bad news, even while they valued building and consolidating the physician-patient bond. As for themethod, they highlighted its importance for generating self-knowledge and experience for their future profession. Prospective studies should be performed to evaluate the strategy's impact on the humanization of the physician-patient relationshipandmedical education, fully exploring its potential and limitations.

Role Playing; Psychodrama; Physician-Patient Relations; Students, Medical; Education, Medical


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