Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36573225›Full record

ArticlePatient preference and adherence2022

Breaking Bad News of a Cancer Diagnosis: A Mixed-Methods Study of Patients' Perspectives.

Wejdan M Al-Johani, Nouf A AlShamlan, Manar F AlGhamdi, Assim M AlAbdulkader, Waleed M Aljohani, Rehab F AlGhamdi, Munir Alrefae, Muna Alshehabi, Reem S AlOmar, Moataza M Abdel Wahab

Abstract readNews
In one paragraph

Article in Patient preference and adherence, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Parental expectations regarding the announcement of a diagnosis of a rare oral disease: a qualitative study in Marseille, France.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Wejdan M Al-JohaniDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34224, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-4851-0934
Nouf A AlShamlanDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34224, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-8049-237X
Manar F AlGhamdiCollege of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-7983-5494
Assim M AlAbdulkaderDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34224, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-9842-894X
Waleed M AljohaniSupply Chain Department, Security Forces Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Rehab F AlGhamdiCollege of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-5754-5576
Munir AlrefaeDepartment of Internal medicine, King Fahad Hospital of University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Muna AlshehabiPalliative Medicine Department, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Reem S AlOmarDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34224, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-4899-7965
Moataza M Abdel WahabDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34224, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0002-9832-2432

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: A cancer diagnosis is an overwhelming process for both patients and doctors. Many studies have addressed doctors' opinions and knowledge regarding breaking bad news (BBN). However, scarce knowledge exists regarding patients' perspectives for communicating bad news. Therefore, the current study aims to assess cancer patient preferences and satisfaction about BBN. Patients and Methods: This is a mixed methods study consisting of two phases; an in-depth interview and cross-sectional quantitative analysis. Thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data to explore patients' satisfaction and preferences about BBN. For quantitative analyses, the overall satisfaction was calculated as satisfaction percent. Bivariate analyses were performed, and statistical significance was set as p < 0.05. Quality function deployment was used to effectively define patient requirements of highest priority. Results: Thematic analysis revealed two main themes. Theme 1; patients' requirements for BBN and theme 2; patients' reaction at the time of diagnosis with their categories. For the quantitative part, a total of 222 patients responded to the survey, females made up 70% of the sample. Satisfaction score percent ranged from 25.5 to 100%, with a mean of 82.7±11.9%. The most preferred items were mainly concerned with the doctor being honest and encouraging, good listener and interacting giving simple smooth explanations without using medical terms, and empathetic (average score 4.8/5). Also, providing the diagnosis in a calm and private environment (4.7/5). Analysis also found that the requirements for improvement included providing a written summary after receiving the diagnosis and patient perception assessed by the doctor before telling the diagnosis. Conclusion: Communicating bad news effectively is crucial in the management of cancer patients. The process of BBN should be patient-centered, focusing on patients' needs. Thus, the current study has demonstrated the patients' preferences and the requirements, which should be incorporated into BBN protocols.

Indexed as

breaking bad newscancerpatients’ preferencespatients’ satisfaction

Identifiers

PMID36573225
PMCPMC9789710

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.