ArticleInternational journal of gynecological cancer : official journal of the International Gynecological Cancer Society2023
How to break bad news and how to learn this skill: results from an international North-Eastern German Society for Gynecological Oncology (NOGGO) survey among physicians and medical students with 1089 participants
Article in International journal of gynecological cancer : official journal of the International Gynecological Cancer Society, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- MEET & MAKE CleaR PROCESS: a new framework for sharing serious information.BMC medical education · 2026Pooled it
- Factors influencing care for patients with gynecologic malignancies from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds: a questionnaire study (iCALD-2).Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Greek Physicians' Skills and Factors Affecting Breaking Bad News to Cancer Patients.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2026Article
- Breaking Bad News: The Perspective and Experience of Women with Gynecological Cancer (Results of the NOGGO-Expression XX Survey).Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2026Article
- Developing multi-perspective practice-based evidence theses for breaking bad news in the German pediatric oncology: A participatory group Delphi study.PEC innovation · 2025Article
- Between Hope and Reality: The Art of Delivering Difficult News.United European gastroenterology journal · 2025Article
- From classroom to clinic: Addressing gaps in teaching and perceived preparedness for breaking bad news in medical education.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Informed consent in gynecological oncology: a JAGO/NOGGO survey on real-world practices in daily clinical routine.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDelivering bad news to patients is one of the most challenging tasks in medical practice. Despite its great relevance to patients, relatives, and medical staff, there is a paucity of data pertaining to training, experience, expectations, and preferences of physicians and medical students on breaking bad news.
methodsWe conducted an international survey in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria using an online questionnaire among physicians and medical students.
resultsA total of 786 physicians and 303 medical students completed the survey. Physicians stated that 32.7% deliver bad news several times a week and 45.2% several times a month. Difficulties controlling their emotions (35.1%) and remaining professional (43.4%) were the greatest challenges for physicians. Delivering bad news is associated with feelings of anxiety, both among experienced physicians (median of 3.8 out of 10.0) and medical students (median of 5.3). Conveying bad news is a burden to physicians and consequently has a substantial impact on their job satisfaction. All participants reported the need for more communication training concerning this subject. Only 49.5% of medical students and 67.3% of physicians mentioned having learned adequate communication skills. Our data demonstrate that communication training decreases the level of anxiety and increases the feeling of self-confidence towards breaking bad news. Preferred educational tools were seminars with simulation (students: 71.4%, physicians: 49.5%), observing more senior faculty (students: 57.4%, physicians: 55.1%), and supervision and feedback sessions (students: 36.3%, physicians: 45.7%). The largest barriers regarding education on communication were limited time (students: 77.0%, physicians: 74.9%) and missing awareness of supervisors (students: 60.6%, physicians: 41.1%).
conclusionsOur study showed a great need for systematic training and education in breaking bad news among physicians and medical students. Hospitals, medical schools, and postgraduate training programs are strongly encouraged to fill this gap, and improve sustainable doctor-patient communication to overcome the psychological burden for physicians.
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Registered trials
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.