Breaking bad news - an interdisciplinary curricular teaching-concept.
BACKGROUND
The concerns of patients suffering from life-threatening disease and end-of-life care aspects have gained increasing attention in public perception. The increasing focus on palliative medicine questions can be considered to be paradigmatic for this development. Palliative medicine became a compulsory subject of the undergraduate curriculum in Germany to be implemented until 2013. The preexisting conditions and qualifications at the medical faculties vary, though. We describe the conceptual process, didactic background, and first experiences with the new interdisciplinary course "Delivering bad news" as a compulsory part of the palliative medicine curriculum.


METHODS
Since autumn 2009, this course has been taught at the University Medical Center Göttingen, consisting of two double lessons in the final year of medical education. Considering the curriculum-based learning goals in Göttingen, the focus of this course is to impart knowledge, attitudes and communication skills relating to "bad news".


RESULTS
Although the seminar requires adequate staff and is time-consuming, students have accepted it and gave high marks in evaluations. In particular, the teachers' performance and commitment was evaluated positively.


CONCLUSIONS
We describe the first experiences with a new course. Didactic structure, theoretical contents, role-plays and usage of media (film, novel) are well- suited to communicate topics such as "bad news". Additional experiences and evaluations are necessary. According to the progressive nature of learning, it might be worthwhile to repeat communication- centered questions several times during medical studies.
Georg August Universität Göttingen, Abteilung Allgemeinmedizin, Göttingen, Deutschland. asimmen@gwdg.de
Anne
A
Simmenroth-Nayda
Bernd
B
Alt-Epping
Ildikó
I
Gágyor
D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008511:Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014342:Truth Disclosure