Breaking bad news to patients with spinal cord injury in Turkey – physiatrists’ perspective

This study explores how Turkish physiatrists handle the difficult task of informing patients about spinal cord injuries. Effective communication is key for building trust and helping patients cope with chronic illnesses. The research looks into the experiences and opinions of physiatrists regarding breaking bad news (BBN) to patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), focusing on their training, attitudes, and self-assessed communication skills. The findings reveal variations in how physiatrists approach BBN, highlighting the need for better communication skills training, especially in empathy, to improve patient care in Turkey.

• 1
  Training in basic communication skills and breaking bad news is not prevalent among Turkish physiatrists; only 11% of specialists and 53% of residents reported receiving such training.
• 2
  While all participants agreed that physiatrists should be involved in breaking bad news, only 67% believed it should be their primary responsibility, with others suggesting surgeons or psychiatrists should take the lead.
• 3
  Self-assessments of communication skills were generally optimistic, but physiatrists expressed dissatisfaction with their ability to provide direct knowledge and empathic responses to patients.