Although results from a November 2015 study in JAMA Oncology suggested using alternatives to face-to-face communication to deliver bad news is acceptable for many patients, physicians don't always feel it's the right thing to do, according to a new survey from Aptus Health and mHealthIntelligence.
Of 309 physician respondents to the survey, 88 percent said they were not in favor of using any method other than in-person communication for delivering a bad biopsy result. Respondents wrote to deliver bad news to patients via video consultation, phone or other electronic means was not exemplary of a caring physician's behavior and made it more difficult to effectively communicate apathy.
The JAMA Oncology paper showed at least patients felt the delivery of bad news via telemedicine mitigated some of the anxiety they felt surrounding a cancer diagnosis. Respondents to the Aptus Health/mHealthIntelligence survey said in some cases they may have no choice but to deliver bad results in a less preferable manner due to distance or patient preference, but being able to offer consolation to a patient is an important component of providing care.