Navigating obstetric bad news: Insights from tertiary care medical teams

Abstract

ObjectivesTo analyze the self-reported perception of obstetric medical teams regarding the practice of delivering bad news in public and private hospitals. MethodsCross-sectional study considering physicians delivering obstetric care at the Municipal Hospital Vila Santa Catarina, Municipal Hospital Dr. Moysés Deutsch, and Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital, in São Paulo, Brazil. The applied questionnaire reflected the steps of the SPIKES protocol for delivering difficult news, with the questions adapted to obstetric and fetal medicine practice context. ResultsSpecialists self-reported higher levels of knowledge, better emotional management, and superior strategy planning and summarization skills than residents. Participants with more than five years of experience reported higher knowledge levels, better emotional management, and superior strategy development skills. When comparing professionals from private and public hospitals, no significant differences emerged in self-reported communication aspects. ConclusionsExperience duration significantly influences professionals' impressions in their ability to provide information, manage emotions, and plan post-diagnosis. Specialists and those with more years of experience self-report enhanced readiness in executing communication steps effectively.Practice implications:Our findings underscore the importance of tailored training and experience in navigating sensitive medical conversations in the field of Obstetrics.