Article

Within stroke care clinicians are frequently required to break bad news
to patients, however, formal training and guidance remains limited. This article
provides a case example of a multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation team
consultation, and aims to contribute towards an evidence base and a model of
training for breaking bad news (BBN) in stroke care. METHOD: The stroke
rehabilitation team requested clinical psychology consultation to help with
difficulties they were experiencing in BBN to patients. The consultation
comprised an assessment of the request, development of a proposal, delivery of a
workshop on BBN and an evaluation of consultation impact. A collaborative
consultation model underpinned the work, which aimed to empower and facilitate
the team to generate solutions by drawing upon their existing expertise. RESULTS:
The consultation was found to meet the team's expectations and needs. Consultees
reported increased confidence to communicate difficult messages to patients and
rated the consultation highly. A follow-up review indicated the consultation had
led to changes in practice. CONCLUSIONS: Communication skills are central to BBN
effectively. Clinicians may be supported to recognize their existing skill set
and increase confidence in their ability to break bad news through a process of
collaborative team consultation.

Langue : ANGLAIS