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Influence of Personal Experiences of Medical Students on Their Assessment of Delivering Bad News

Author

Listed:
  • Agata Kotłowska

    (Faculty of Medicine, Student Scientific Circle of Medical Communication at the Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland)

  • Julia Przeniosło

    (Faculty of Medicine, Student Scientific Circle of Medical Communication at the Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland)

  • Krzysztof Sobczak

    (Department of Sociology of Medicine and Social Pathology, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland)

  • Jan Plenikowski

    (Faculty of Medicine, Student Scientific Circle of Medical Communication at the Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland)

  • Marcin Trzciński

    (Faculty of Medicine, Student Scientific Circle of Medical Communication at the Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland)

  • Oliwia Lenkiewicz

    (Faculty of Medicine, Student Scientific Circle of Medical Communication at the Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland)

  • Julia Lenkiewicz

    (Faculty of Medicine, Student Scientific Circle of Medical Communication at the Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland)

Abstract

Background: We aimed to identify which attitudes and emotions accompany latter-year medical students as they experience situations where bad news is communicated. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) methodology in a group of 321 fifth- and sixth-year medical students from 14 medical universities in Poland. Correlations were analyzed using Pearson’s χ 2 test. For the categorical variables, subject profiles were analyzed using K-means clustering. Results: Students’ self-assessments of their competence in delivering bad news (DBN) differed depending on the type of experience they had with it. More than half of the students had observed a situation of DBN (63.6%) and as many as 26.5% of the participants had received bad news themselves. These two groups were less likely to declare a lack of DBN-related skills (43.4% and 33.4%, respectively) than others. In this study, 9% of the students had personally delivered bad news. Only 13.4% of these students rated their DBN skills as insufficient. They were also the least likely to express concern regarding high levels of stress (29.6%) and anxiety (48%). Conclusions: The ability to personally deliver bad medical news to a patient was the most effective form of gaining experience in DBN. Being a bearer of bad news may help students develop their own strategies for coping with difficult emotions and develop their professional competences, leading to improved medical care and patient comfort.

Suggested Citation

  • Agata Kotłowska & Julia Przeniosło & Krzysztof Sobczak & Jan Plenikowski & Marcin Trzciński & Oliwia Lenkiewicz & Julia Lenkiewicz, 2022. "Influence of Personal Experiences of Medical Students on Their Assessment of Delivering Bad News," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-10, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:19:p:12040-:d:923037
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Piotr Przymuszała & Patrycja Marciniak-Stępak & Magdalena Cerbin-Koczorowska & Martyna Borowczyk & Katarzyna Cieślak & Lidia Szlanga & Łucja Zielińska-Tomczak & Ryszard Marciniak, 2021. "‘Difficult Conversations with Patients’—A Modified Group Objective Structured Clinical Experience for Medical Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-14, May.
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