Volume 25, Issue 115, September 2021

Saudi population preferences towards receiving medical bad news in Buraidah city 2020

Fahad Mohammed A Alkhuzayyim^1♦, Chandra Sekhar Kalevaru²

¹Family Medicine R3 Resident, Family Medicine Academy, Qassim Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Qassim Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
²Professor of community Medicine, Trainer, Family Medicine Academy, Qassim Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Qassim Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Family Medicine R3 Resident, Family Medicine Academy, Qassim Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Qassim Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: Breaking bad news from health care providers to patient attendees, need skills to the professionals to deliver the bad news. Same time positive attitude change also required from the population in relation to receiving medical bad news. This is high time to maintain some equilibrium and harmony of understanding is very essential to maintain successful understanding between bad news release person and receiver. Study aimed to explore socio-demographic characteristics, determine the Saudi preferences and attitude towards receiving medical bad news. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among the Saudi population aged between 20 - 59 years population. A self-administered validated questionnaire administered to the selected Saudi population. Data entered in Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21.0 version and necessary statistical tests were applied. Results: Response rate in the study population was 84.6%. About receiving breaking bad news, 37.8% were received and among them 71.5% revealed the bad news by physicians. 52.6% were preferred as early as possible once the bad news are available and 44.9% were preferred bad news by head of medical team. Statistically significant association was found between attitude of method of breaking bad news versus gender (females 78.4% and males 64.7%, P-0.004). Conclusions: Based on the study, majority participants preferred to receive the bad news by themselves first. There is a need of training to the health care providers and also from the public need to accept the bad news in a proper way as a behavioural change is required.

Keywords: Attitude, Preferences, Receiving Breaking bad news, Saudi Population

Medical Science, 2021, 25(115), 2114-2125

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