How to deliver bad news
Last updated: June 19, 2025
How to deliver bad news
2 Week Filler Course
2 Week Filler Course
The do's and don'ts of patient care
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Taking a good patient history
Shared decision-making
Implicit bias
How to deliver bad news
Empathetic listening for clinicians
Writing a good progress note
How to give a good oral presentation
What is Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
How to impress your attendings
Heart failure: Clinical
Coronary artery disease: Clinical
Syncope: Clinical
Peripheral vascular disease: Clinical
Shock: Clinical
Valvular heart disease: Clinical
Diabetes mellitus: Clinical
Hyperthyroidism: Clinical
Hypothyroidism and thyroiditis: Clinical
Adrenal insufficiency: Clinical
Abdominal pain: Clinical
Gastrointestinal bleeding: Clinical
Inflammatory bowel disease: Clinical
Gallbladder disorders: Clinical
Bowel obstruction: Clinical
Diverticular disease: Clinical
Pancreatitis: Clinical
Hernias: Clinical
Abdominal trauma: Clinical
Blood products and transfusion: Clinical
Venous thromboembolism: Clinical
Fever of unknown origin: Clinical
Pneumonia: Clinical
Diarrhea: Clinical
Tuberculosis: Pathology review
Urinary tract infections: Clinical
Stroke: Clinical
Headaches: Clinical
Seizures: Clinical
Asthma: Clinical
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Clinical
Acute respiratory distress syndrome: Clinical
Joint pain: Clinical
Newborn management: Clinical
Pediatric ear, nose, and throat conditions: Clinical
Pediatric constipation: Clinical
Pediatric vomiting: Clinical
Developmental milestones: Clinical
Child abuse: Clinical
Vaccinations: Clinical
Pediatric infectious rashes: Clinical
Viral exanthems of childhood: Pathology review
Neurodevelopmental disorders: Clinical
Pediatric upper airway conditions: Clinical
Pediatric lower airway conditions: Clinical
BRUE, ALTE, and SIDS: Clinical
Pediatric orthopedic conditions: Clinical
Hypertension: Clinical
Hypercholesterolemia: Clinical
Leg ulcers: Clinical
Hypersensitivity skin reactions: Clinical
Skin cancer: Clinical
Dizziness and vertigo: Clinical
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): Clinical
Malabsorption: Clinical
Anemia: Clinical
Pregnancy
Routine prenatal care: Clinical
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: Clinical
Stages of labor
Abnormal labor: Clinical
Premature rupture of membranes: Clinical
Vaginal versus cesarean delivery: Clinical
Amenorrhea: Clinical
Contraception: Clinical
Menopause
Abnormal uterine bleeding: Clinical
Endometrial hyperplasia and cancer: Clinical
Sexually transmitted infections: Clinical
Anatomy clinical correlates: Female pelvis and perineum
Estrogens and antiestrogens
Progestins and antiprogestins
Mood disorders: Clinical
Anxiety disorders: Clinical
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Clinical
Eating disorders: Clinical
Obsessive compulsive disorders: Clinical
Sleep disorders: Clinical
Sexual dysfunctions: Clinical
Somatic symptom disorders: Clinical
Medication overdoses and toxicities: Pathology review
Substance misuse and addiction: Clinical
Psychiatric emergencies: Pathology review
Drug misuse, intoxication and withdrawal: Hallucinogens: Pathology review
Drug misuse, intoxication and withdrawal: Alcohol: Pathology review
Drug misuse, intoxication and withdrawal: Stimulants: Pathology review
Range, variance, and standard deviation
Normal distribution and z-scores
Introduction to biostatistics
Types of data
Mean, median, and mode
Sensitivity and specificity
Positive and negative predictive value
Incidence and prevalence
Relative and absolute risk
Mortality rates and case-fatality
Attributable risk (AR)
Disease causality
Selection bias
Prevention
Bias in performing clinical studies
Pediatric allergies: Clinical
Pediatric musculoskeletal disorders: Pathology review
Rett syndrome
Perinatal infections: Clinical
Immunodeficiencies: Clinical
Kawasaki disease: Clinical
Preoperative evaluation: Clinical
Postoperative evaluation: Clinical
General anesthetics
Neuromuscular blockers
Appendicitis: Clinical
Aortic aneurysms and dissections: Clinical
Pleural effusion: Clinical
Pneumothorax: Clinical
Burns: Clinical
Traumatic brain injury: Clinical
Eye conditions: Refractive errors, lens disorders and glaucoma: Pathology review
Eye conditions: Inflammation, infections and trauma: Pathology review
Urinary incontinence: Pathology review
Ovarian cysts, cancer, and other adnexal masses: Clinical
Vulvovaginitis: Clinical
Androgens and antiandrogens
Infertility: Clinical
Supraventricular arrhythmias: Pathology review
Heart blocks: Pathology review
Meningitis, encephalitis and brain abscesses: Clinical
Kidney stones: Clinical
Metabolic and respiratory alkalosis: Clinical
Hyperkalemia: Clinical
Hypokalemia: Clinical
Hypernatremia: Clinical
Chest trauma: Clinical
Neck trauma: Clinical
Opioid antagonists
Migraine medications
Blood transfusion reactions and transplant rejection: Pathology review
Esophageal disorders: Clinical
Cirrhosis: Clinical
Lymphoma: Clinical
Bites and stings: Clinical
Toxidromes: Clinical
Environmental and chemical toxicities: Pathology review
Glucocorticoids
Eczematous rashes: Clinical
Chronic kidney disease: Clinical
Key Takeaways
It's important to remember that the way you deliver bad news can have a huge impact on the person receiving it. Here are some tips for delivering bad news in a way that is respectful and compassionate:
- Be honest and upfront. Don't try to sugarcoat or downplay the news.
- Use plain language, and be specific about what has happened.
- Don't rush or speak too quickly; take your time and make sure you are understood.
- Acknowledge the person's feelings, and let them know that you understand how they must be feeling.