There are 4 essential goals in breaking bad news.

1. To gather information regarding patient's knowledge, expectations and readiness to hear the bad news.


2. To provide information that is comprehensible and address patient's needs and desires.


3. To provide patients skills to reduce the emotional impact and isolation experienced by the recipient of bad news.


4. To develop treatment plan by actively engaging the patient in it.

Click on each alphabet for further explanation on SPIKES Protocol

I: Invitation Invitation

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I:
Obtaining the patient's INVITATION

K: Knowledge Knowledge

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K:
Giving KNOWLEDGE and information to the patient

P: Perception Perception

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P:
Assessing the patient's PERCEPTION

E: Emotions Emotions

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E:
Addressing the patient's EMOTIONS with empathic responses

S: Setting-up Setting-up

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S:
SETTING-UP the interview

S: Strategy Strategy

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S:
STRATEGY and summary