In my previous blog threads, the issue of a physician telling the patient "bad news" has been rather fully discussed (see links below to those threads). It always was and always will be a challenge for any physician to communicate this diagnosis since often the doctor doesn't know how much and how quickly the patient can understand and accept the information. It also means that the doctor has to find the right words to be informative, supportive and yet empathetic to what the patient may be about to experience. In the attached video clip from the John Wayne movie "The Shootist", the doctor played by James Stewart finds this challenge as he must tell the "bad news" word to John Wayne who comes for a consultation. The confrontation of the news by both parties is beautifully played out in this segment of this movie, which, by the way, has been an educational worthy segment for medical students to review. It shows how the patient helped the doctor with the doctor's first challenge with the words "say it flat out". What the doctor should say after the diagnosis is revealed is the second challenge in doctor-patient communication. If you were the patient, would you be a John Wayne and have your doctor "say it flat out"? ..Maurice.
Previous "Telling Bad News" blog thread links:
Video Clip: Downloaded from Turner Classic Movies website.
