Communication

Breaking bad news about a serious life limiting illness or a chronic life altering illness and supporting patients as they progress through the illness process is arguably one the most stressful activities any clinician must perform. However, most clinicians do not receive any formal training on how to break bad news and skillfully conduct crucial conversations with patients and families.

Examples of Illnesses
Category	Examples
Life-limiting serious illnesses	cancer, hematological malignancies, advanced heart disease of any etiology, advanced lung disease of any etiology, advanced neurological disease of any etiology, advanced renal disease of any etiology, advanced liver disease of any etiology and Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome
Life-altering chronic illnesses	diabetes, hypertension, rheumatologic illnesses (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia), chronic heart failure, coronary heart disease, cirrhosis, chronic renal failure, chronic lung diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis)

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©End of Life Curriculum Project, a joint project of the US Veterans Administration and SUMMIT, Stanford University Medical School.
Funded by a grant to the Veterans Administration Nationwide Palliative Care Network by the National Library of Medicine. VJ Periyakoil, MD, Director.

End of Life Online Curriculum - Modules

Delivering Bad News

Examples of Illnesses

Category

Examples