Get Ready – Info, People, Place
What you say:
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“Let me take a minute to make sure I’ve got what I need.”
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Make sure you have all the information you need at hand.
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Make sure you have all the right people in the room.
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Find a place with some privacy.
Understand what the patient knows
What you say:
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“What thoughts have you had since the biopsy?”
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“What have you taken away from other doctors so far?”
Inform starting with a headline
What you say:
- “The CT scan shows that the cancer has gotten worse”
- Give the information clearly and to the point with a one-sentence
headline of the most important piece of information you want them to
take away. - Avoid jargon
- After the headline you will need to give more information, but after
giving the headline, STOP!
Demonstrate empathy. Respond directly to emotion
What you say:
- “I can see this news is not what you were hoping for.”
- Expect the patient’s first response to be emotion.
- Acknowledge the emotion explicitly.
Equip the patient for the next step.
What you say:
- “Is there anything I could do to make this a little easier?”
- “I want you to be prepared for the next step. Can I explain…”
- Don’t dismiss concerns or say that everything will be fine.