Abstract

BRANQUINHO, Marianne  and  MENEZES, Marina. Communication process of bad news from the perspective of medical residents. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2023, vol.24, n.3, pp.819-830.  Epub Dec 31, 2023. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/23psd240303.

This study aimed to understand the process of communicating bad news from the perspective of medical residents. This is a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research carried out with 12 medical residents who are specializing in Medical Clinic in a hospital in the south of Brazil. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview and analyzed through content analysis. The results were grouped into four categories: conception and communication of bad news, professional training, criteria used to communicate bad news and unfolding of the communication process. The transmission of bad news was described as complex, due to the emotional aspects associated, requiring professional preparation and competence. Medical training, from the residents' perspective, was considered insufficient in the capacity to communicate bad news. This was justified by the priority focus on technical-scientific knowledge in the curriculum, to the detriment of the subjective aspects of the doctor-patient-family relationship. Faced with this difficulty, rationalization was identified as the psychological coping strategy commonly used by the interviewees, to maintain objectivity and control their own feelings. Humanistic training in medicine seeks to integrate the emotional and relational aspects of biomedical knowledge, which constitutes a complex and challenging investment, but eminently necessary.

Keywords : Communication; Truth disclosure; Physician-patient relations; Education; Medical.

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