From the December 2013 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
6. Give the patient and family time to absorb what you just said. Show them you are not in a rush. Sit and be comfortable with silence.
7. It’s OK to show emotion.
8. Build a relationship. Use words or phrases such as “I will help you get through this” or “I am sorry”. Let them know they are not alone.
9. Be patient and answer all of their questions.
10. Make a plan for the future. Encourage them to call you with any questions. Make clear what the next step should be.
Dr. Karen Knops, Chief of Palliative Care at Morristown Medical Center and BBN instructor, says, “It seems almost cruel to give medical residents training in almost everything else in medicine and when this very important thing comes up, there is no experience and no guidance. I think it’s not a luxury to do something like this. It’s a necessity.”
For more information on the BBN Foundation or the BBN Model, visit www.bbnfoundation.org, or email info@bbnfoundation.org.
About the author: Dr. Orsini is the president of BBN Foundation. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is board certified in both Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. Upon completion of his fellowship training he spent five years as a neonatologist and assistant Professor of Pediatrics at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. He then moved to New Jersey in 2001 and has been working as a neonatologist at Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, N.J. ever since.
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