Breaking Bad News

Guidelines and communication frameworks for difficult conversations.

Reviewed by Dr Kola Tytler MBBS CertHE MBA MRCGP (General Practitioner)
Last reviewed: 21 October 2025
Communication SkillsPalliative CareOncology

Clinical Guidelines

American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline: Patient-Clinician Communication
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Breaking bad news: consensus guidelines for medical practitioners. J Clin Oncol. 1995;13(9):2449-2456.
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Clinical practice guidelines for communicating prognosis and end-of-life issues with adults in the advanced stages of a life-limiting illness, and their caregivers
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Clinical Practice Guidelines on Breaking Bad News. Indian J Psychiatry. 2023 Feb;65(2):238-244.
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NCCN Practice Guidelines: breaking bad news (pending) (NCCN, 2001)
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Position paper: Teaching breaking bad news (BBN) to undergraduate medical students. Patient Educ Couns. 2022 Sep;105(9):2899-2904.
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