Breaking Bad News in Eye Care

[...]patients rank vision loss as second only to cancer among fears for their health.2 For some, receiving news that their vision is declining is akin to a grieving process.3 Despite the need, most institutions do not offer formal instruction for caregivers in how to break bad news. Patients appreciate receiving resources for more information, such as brochures and online sources.5 Last, other allied health team members can play a vital role.5,13 In the Batten disease case, both the genetic counsellor and the ophthalmologist met with the family in person as a part of an interdisciplinary health care team. [...]breaking bad news effectively is a crucial skill in ophthalmic care, given the value that patients place on their vision.