title: Communication problems of the chronically ill.
abstract: Patients with severe pain have a reduced capacity to communicate with doctors. These patients have depleted resources. Doctors are pressed for time. Patients not responding to treatment present doctors with communication tasks. Doctors need to persist gently in telling the 'unacceptable' bad news until it is reluctantly accepted.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Doring
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations