Author:

• Fernando Antonio Ramos Guerra - Guerra, FAR - Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro - Insituto Fernandes Figueira - <ramosguerra@uol.com.br>

Thematic Area:

Não Categorizado

Abstract:

Communicating an unfavorable diagnosis during prenatal care is a growing challenge in clinical practice, as more and more tests are being performed to screen for the main conditions affecting the pregnant woman and her fetus. The way patients receive and subsequently deal with bad news is directly influenced by how the news is communicated by the attending physician. Unfortunately, physicians receive little or no training to communicate bad news, and they generally feel quite uncomfortable in doing so. Although many doctors view the saying that “there’s no good way to break bad news” as the truth, the maxim does not represent reality. The aim of this article is to discuss, in light of the scientific literature and the experience of fetal medicine services, some recommendations that can help deal with these difficult moments and improve patient care for the remainder of the pregnancy.
Keywords: Communication, bad news, ultrasound, fetal medicine, malformation.

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