BMJ  2004;328 (5 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7452.0-a

Be honest when talking to patients

Patients and their relatives want open and honest information about their illnesses. Kirk and colleagues (p 1343) interviewed 37 cancer patients receiving palliative care and their relatives, and found that patients want full and honest information about their illness, which they share with their families. Many were dissatisfied with the communication process they had experienced, and they used secondary sources of information to increase their awareness. The authors conclude that healthcare workers should be honest, clear, accurate, and provide hope. As illness progressed, patients were less interested in prognosis and focused on daily living concerns and on managing symptoms.

Credit: JOHN COLE/SPL

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Relevant Article

What do patients receiving palliative care for cancer and their families want to be told? A Canadian and Australian qualitative study

Peter Kirk, Ingrid Kirk, and Linda J Kristjanson
BMJ 2004 328: 1343. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]