title: [Pitfalls within the cancer-related doctor-patient communication].
abstract: There is a "confusion of tongues" in the communication between patient and physician that hinders mutual understanding. Cancer - because of its malignant and often chronic nature - accentuates the communication problems and emphasizes the importance of human relationship. The confusion of tongues can only be resolved through understanding of the situation and motivations of the other person. Thus our aim is to help medical doctors to recognize and understand the most important communication characteristics of the doctor-patient interactions that are strained by the burden of cancer. Interviews with directly concerned professionals and non-professionals were recorded in order to reveal the most common communication disturbances. The majority of the "communication vacuum" arose when bad news should be disclosed for the patient, as bad news is bad for the physician as well. It is emotionally burdening to perceive bad news, and a big challenge for the physician to break it gently, to be tactful, while he/she has no possibility to pay attention with regard to his/her own emotional stability. Medical doctors can cope with this challenge if they are acquainted with the psychological difficulties of the patients that block the effective medical communication.
authors.affiliation: Magyar Hospice Alapítvány Budapest, Kenyeres u. 18-22., 1032.
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muszbek
authors.affiliation: Magyar Hospice Alapítvány Budapest, Kenyeres u. 18-22., 1032.
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gaal
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004644:Emotions; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D033262:Narration; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations / Q000941:ethics; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D014342:Truth Disclosure
keywords: breaking bad news; doctor–patient relation; medical communication; orvosi kommunikáció; orvos–beteg kapcsolat; psychooncology; pszichoonkológia; rossz hír közlése