Citation Information :
Loaiza JL, Arroyave AM. Delivering Bad News: Aspects to Consider When Training Medical Students and Residents. Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2009; 3 (4):65-68.
Ultrasound advances have made a tremendous impact in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. The routinely use of this technology has allowed doctors to diagnose medical conditions in real time. When ultrasound reveals a serious diagnosis or a finding of concern (i.e. fetal demise, fetal malformation, a suspicious mass), communicating bad news to the patient and family represents a challenge that most doctors don't feel comfortable doing. In the following section we will present a clinical vignette, that involves a fetus with multiple structural malformations diagnosed by ultrasound, to show some general principles that can help physicians to break bad news. We also highlight the importance of incorporating formal training in medical school to help students become familiar and more comfortable delivering bad news.
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