title: Delivering bad news: the most challenging task in patient education.
abstract: Communicating clinical findings that a patient's vision cannot be improved and/or will deteriorate is a challenging patient education responsibility. The bad news will be upsetting for the patient no matter how it is presented. By presenting findings in a thoughtful, step-by-step manner taking into account the patient's shock and distress and providing appropriate patient education information, the practitioner plays a critical role in facilitating the patient's participation in the rehabilitation process.
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D009907:Optometry; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011379:Prognosis; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D014786:Vision Disorders