Under the supervision of the Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Professor Dr. Sarmed H. Kathem Alkhateeb, the continuing education Unit at the University of Baghdad/College of Pharmacy held an in-person workshop entitled “Breaking Bad News” delivered by Lecturer Dr. Shaymaa Abdulzahra Abbas , a faculty member at the Clinical Laboratory Science Department.
The workshop aimed to develop effective communication skills by delivering difficult diagnoses with empathy and clarity, reducing the emotional impact by professionally managing the reactions of patients and their families, developing an appropriate treatment and support plan for the patient.
The workshop included several key topics, including most notably learning the six steps of the SPIKES protocol. These included Setting, which involves choosing a quiet place, sitting down, ensuring privacy, minimizing interruptions; Perception, by asking the patient about their understanding or expectations regarding their health condition; Invitation, by determining how much information the patient wishes to receive and when they would like to receive it; Knowledge, by providing a “warning shot,” such as “I have some difficult news,” followed by explaining the facts slowly, clearly, without unnecessary complexity; Emotions with Empathy, by recognizing and responding to feelings of sadness, anger, or shock with empathy and care; Strategy and Summary, by summarizing the next steps, answering questions, and providing available support .The workshop covered practical activities, such as role-playing through realistic scenarios involving participants acting as healthcare professionals and patients, conducting simulations using complex clinical cases followed by performance evaluation, providing feedback on body language, tone of voice, demonstration of empathy during communication with patients.
The workshop concluded that effective communication of difficult news is not limited to knowing what to say to patients; it involves knowing how to deliver such information honestly and compassionately. Mastering the SPIKES protocol ,applying it as a practical clinical skill can contribute to more effective and patient-centered communication.
