While delivering news about poor prognosis and impending death in a patient
which of these procedures should not be followed?
- Break news in the cafeteria over a cup of coffee
- Listen and empathize
- Allow for silence and emotional ventilation.
- Tell them, “Don’t worry, even though the news sounds bad, we can try
our best to cure you and make you live longer.”
Answer: The answer is (d). Falsely reassuring statements such as these have
to be avoided in counseling the dying patient. The news should be broken in an
appropriate time and place. A relaxed environment of the cafeteria over a cup of
coffee is appropriate. Listening and empathizing is essential. Silence and
emotional ventilation time must be given.