The communication of bad news in the emergency hospital

Abstract The scope of this study was to understand the elements involved in the communication of bad news in the context of medical practice in a Brazilian emergency hospital. It consisted of qualitative research, based on medical anthropology. Data collection was gathered over nine months of participant observation and interviews with 43 physicians. The emic analysis was based on the model of signs, meanings and actions. Two categories emerged from the analysis of the data: bottlenecks in communicating bad news relating to interaction one’s own emotions and those of the family member; insufficient academic preparation in addressing death and the impossibility of a cure, with repercussions on professional practice. The difficulties in communicating bad news in the emergency hospital persist and the omission in training has repercussions on professional practice, and the professionals continue to feel ill-prepared. The difficulties are not only technical, didactic or theoretical. Communicating bad news is also permeated by tacit, experiential, relational, emotional, socio-cultural, human, ethical and reflective knowledge.