Breaking bad news 2: what evidence is available to guide clinicians?

A number of sources are available to clinicians to help them communicate a life threatening diagnosis to patients. However many of the guidelines are written from the perspective of the expert or physicians and the receivers' perspective has been less documented. There are also substantial variations in recommendations. Database reference material from 1994-1997 is reviewed.
Literature related to breaking bad news to medical patients was reviewed. An analysis of citations appearing between 1994 and August 1997 updated earlier work and indicated that a minority (24%) [...]