Clinicians’ Practice and Perception of Disclosure Model for Breaking Bad News to Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Physicians’ beliefs about disclosure manner and their ethicalattitude for telling the truth is an important issue in patient-physician interaction.The aim of this study was to examine clinicians’ practice and perception ofdisclosure models for giving bad news to breast cancer patients. Methods: Participants (n = ۲۰۷, age ۲۱–۶۱ years, mean work experience = ۴.۰۳± ۶ years) working in different medical centers in Tehran, Iran, were recruited bypurposive sampling method. They completed clinicians’ attitude and practice ofBreaking Bad News (BBN) scales. Psychometric properties (reliability andvalidity) of these scales were approved. Results: Clinicians’ practice differed significantly by their perception ofdisclosure model for giving bad news. Furthermore, difference in clinicians’practice and perception of disclosure model for BBN was observed for age, gender,medical work experience in oncology setting, and receiving special training.Finally, clinicians’ perception of disclosure model for BBN (Adj. R۲ = ۰.۳۲), age(Adj. R۲ = ۰.۱۷), gender (Adj. R۲ = ۰.۱۱), and receiving special training for givingbad news (Adj. R۲ = ۰.۰۹) positively predicted their practice of BBN. Conclusion: Findings of the study point to the importance of the clinicians’perception of disclosure model for giving bad news and transcultural variables asfactors affecting their practice. Therefore, it seems necessary to incorporate specialBBN trainings and protocols culturally adapted to the Iranian society in educationalcurricula of medical specialties and medical ethics in breast cancer setting.

Keywords:

Breaking bad news , clinicians' practice , perception of disclosure , model , breast cancer