Loading...
Some experts recommend that bad news (e.g., cancer diagnosis) be disclosed in person; however, doing so isn't always feasible. Disclosing bad news by phone has become more common since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this meta-analysis of 11 studies (including 4 randomized trials), researchers assessed differences in patients' psychological distress due to disclosure of bad news by phone or in person.
Mean levels of anxiety, depressive symptoms, and post-traumatic stress symptoms after bad news disclosure by phone were similar to levels after in-person disclosure. Likewise, low satisfaction among patients who received bad news by phone was similar to that among patients who received bad news in person.