When Bad News Isn’t Necessarily Bad: Recognizing Provider Bias When Sharing Unexpected News

Professionalism and appropriate expression of empathy when breaking bad news.

Commentary: when bad news is worse than it sounds.

In their study of a quarter century’s worth of English deaths attributed to cardiovascular disease (CVD), Dr Asaria and colleagues have unearthed a trend that is worse than they report it to be. What is new in Asaria et al.’s article is the reported trend in geographical inequalities in suffering and dying from this disease. However, these authors succumb to a very common error at the start of ...

Climate sensitivity uncertainty: when is good news bad?

Climate change is real and dangerous. Exactly how bad it will get, however, is uncertain. Uncertainty is particularly relevant for estimates of one of the key parameters: equilibrium climate sensitivity--how eventual temperatures will react as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations double. Despite significant advances in climate science and increased confidence in the accuracy of the range i...

Abstract 21. When No News is Bad News: Improving Diagnostic Testing Communication through Patient Engagement

PURPOSE: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common cause of upper extremity discomfort. Surgical release of the median nerve can be performed under general or local anesthetic, with or without a tourniquet. Wide-awake carpal tunnel release (CTR) (local anesthesia, no sedation) is gaining popularity. Tourniquet discomfort is a reported downside. This study reviews outcomes in wide-awake CTR and compare...

hiv/aids good news and bad news