Medical students' attitudes towards breaking bad news: an empirical test of the World Health Organization model

Abstract

The literature regarding breaking bad news distinguishes three disclosure models: non-disclosure, full-disclosure and individualized disclosure. In this study, we investigated the relations between attitudes regarding disclosure of bad news and global professional attitudes regarding medical care in a sample of medical students (n=88). The Attitudes towards Breaking Bad News Questionnaire was developed and factor analysed to provide a valid and reliable instrument to measure attitudes regarding disclosure of bad news. The results indicate a preference for an individualized, patient-centred disclosure model in male and female students. Regarding the global professional attitudes, female students appear more humane-oriented than male students. Second, the relationship between global professional attitudes and attitudes regarding breaking bad news was examined by means of correlational and cluster analysis. The inter-relationship between global professional attitudes and attitudes regarding bad news is poor. Results of the cluster analysis, however, suggest that the sample can be divided into subsamples representing different disclosure clusters on the basis of specific combinations of global professional attitudes regarding medical care and attitudes regarding breaking bad news. The results are discussed in view of the theoretical framework proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in their training module on communication of bad news.