Risk and Safety Issues in Oncology XVI examines the importance of effective communication during 3 aspects of the patient’s cancer care journey: breaking bad news, prognostic communication during serious illness, and crucial conversations surrounding goals of care. Many oncology specialists feel ill-prepared to deliver unwelcome news to patients because they were never trained to do so. As a result, these conversations may be conducted in a way that causes stress and anxiety for everyone involved. This course provides effective strategies for handling difficult conversations, as providers who deliver bad news poorly have less satisfied patients, more negative clinical outcomes, increased termination of care, and higher risk of litigation.
