Breaking bad news in the emergency department: A randomized controlled study of a short training course

Abstract

For years, the impact of the delivery of bad news on patients andrelatives, as well as physicians’stress has been a major concern.Based on studies claiming the efficacy of training courses to helpphysicians delivering such news, several protocols, such as SPIKEShave emerged. However, training to such protocol might be time-consuming and impede their use in acute care settings. This randomizedcontrolled study aimed to assess the impact of a breaking bad newstraining course using e-learning and role-play.