Albyetal2016

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Albyetal2016
BibType ARTICLE
Key Albyetal2016
Author(s) Francesca Alby, Cristina Zucchermaglio, Marilena Fatigante
Title Communicating uncertain news in cancer consultations
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, Cancer, News delivery, Medical, Italian
Publisher
Year 2016
Language English
City
Month
Journal Journal of Cancer Education
Volume 32
Number 4
Pages 858–864
URL Link
DOI 10.1007/s13187-016-1070-x
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

In cancer communication, most of the literature is in the realm of delivering bad news while much less attention has been given to the communication of uncertain news around the diagnosis and the possible outcomes of the illness. Drawing on video-recorded cancer consultations collected in two Italian hospitals, this article analyzes three communication practices used by oncologists to interactionally manage the uncertainty during the visit: alternating between uncertain bad news and certain good news, anticipating scenarios, and guessing test results. Both diagnostic and personal uncertainties are not hidden to the patient, yet they are reduced through these practices. Such communication practices are present in 32 % of the visits in the data set, indicating that the interactional management of uncertainty is a relevant phenomenon in oncological encounters. Further studies are needed to improve both its understanding and its teaching.

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