Lost in translation, giving bad news.

[Celestia]

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1511412

How do you give bad news? How much bad news do you dole out at one time?

How much do you try to break through a patient's natural defense mechanism of denial?

Personally I tend towards too much honesty, occasionally erring too far.

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[gutonc]

This is really a story about needing a translator, not about giving bad news.

 

[Celestia]

I would say both. The translator didn't want to break the bad news to relative. Also, author makes the point that >60% of metastatic lung cancer patients somehow think they are being treated for curative intent.

I think these phenomena speak to not wanting to face mortality, whether a relative, ourselves, or even provider.