Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
Specific interventions included in the review
All interventions concerned with communicating bad news to medical patients, including audio-taped interviews with clinicians, post-consultation handouts, individualised information/counselling and tailored letters summarising main points of consultations. Interventions with only a partial, specific focus on breaking bad news were also included.
Participants included in the review
All medical patients receiving bad news regarding their condition. Studies that focused mainly on non-patients, such as parents of children who were seriously disabled or ill were excluded. The studies included in the review all involved patients who were in the initial diagnostic phases of cancer.
Outcomes assessed in the review
Outcomes included patient knowledge levels, psychological adjustment and satisfaction. Outcomes were assessed by self-report through audio tape recordings, mailed questionnaires, telephone interviews, and structured assessment scales including the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), Rotterdam Symptom Checklist, Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) and other non-specified questionnaires.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors do not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the authors performed the selection.