Teaching How to Break Bad News: Comparing Role-Play and Group Discussion on Practice of Medical Interns in Jahrom Medical School

Introduction: The Main challenge in training about breaking bad news is selection of appropriate educational method. This study was performed to assess the results of role-playing method versus group discussion in training about this skill. Methods: This was an interventional double blind study, performed in 2009-2010 in Jahrom University of Medical Sciences. 30 medical students were involved in this study (15 students in each group). At first, their breaking bad news skills were evaluated with an Objective Structured Long Examination Record (OSLER1). Then the first group participated in group-discussion workshop and the second one participated in role playing workshop. Their breaking bad news skills were re-evaluated by OSLER2 after the course. The score of OSLER1 and OSLER2 of both groups were compared. Results were analyzed by T test and paired T test. Results: there was no significant difference in OSLER scores between groups before intervention (p=27.42). The mean score of the first group before workshop (10.5 3.44) was significantly different from it after (19.8 5.44) training (p=.000). Also the mean score of the second group before (27.70 0/833) and after (27.70 0.833) training were significantly different (p=0.000). There was significant difference between two groups’ scores after training (p=0.000). Conclusion: Our training intervention was effective in producing significant change in medical students’ breaking bad news skills, but training by Role-playing method was more effective than group discussion method.