The way in which diagnostic news is delivered affects not only the person's understanding of the illness, but can also impact on their longer term psychological adjustment. This module aims to assist health care professionals in delivering bad news, specifically communicating an initial diagnosis, a
recurrence or diagnosis of metastatic disease. This module has a general cancer focus.
Recommended workshop approach
- Recommended for groups of up to 6 participants.
- Suitable for all healthcare professionals involved in the management of patients with cancer.
- It is recommended that two facilitators are used: one with a clinical background and one with a psycho-oncology background.
- Ideally an actor should be used for interactive role-play.
Breaking bad news workshop resources
Information to support implementation of the workshop:
National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre has developed a series of templates to support implementation of communication skills training workshops:
Find out more:
