Breaking bad news in spinal cord injury; a qualitative study assessing the perspective of spinal cord injury survivors in Turkey.

UNLABELLED: Prior abstract publication: 2nd Medical Rehabilitation Congress; Nov 4-7, 2010; Ankara, Turkey

Objective

This study aims to investigate the process of breaking bad news from the perspective of spinal cord injury survivors.

DESIGN

A cross sectional, qualitative study.

SETTING

Community.

PARTICIPANTS

Fourteen spinal cord injury survivors.

INTERVENTIONS: Subjects participated in a semi-structured interview about 'when', 'where' 'by whom' and 'how' they received and 'would' prefer to receive bad news.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Answers to 'how' questions were coded according to SPIKES protocol (Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Empathizing, Summary).

RESULTS

Eight participants (57%) reported that they received bad news from a physician, mostly during rehabilitation. All would prefer to be informed by a physician and majority preferred to be gradually informed during rehabilitation. Half were not satisfied with the content of information. Only half felt that his/her physiatrist understood his/her emotional distress. Majority of participants who received bad news from physicians reported that the setting was private and their family members accompanied them.

CONCLUSION

Most spinal cord injury survivors were unsatisfied with knowledge and emotional support provided by rehabilitation physicians. Participants would prefer to receive bad news by a senior physiatrist in a planned meeting during rehabilitation.