ABSTRACT
Breaking bad news is a key component of the physicians' work. Traditionally, breaking bad news has been encouraged to be performed in person whenever possible (Monden et al. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 29(1):101-102, 2016; Nickson 2019). The common practice prior to the pandemic can be summarized by "The first rule of breaking bad news is: do not do it over the phone." It is important to be present with the family and provide support through compassion and empathy. Until recently, virtual communication technology for serious medical discussions was rare and primarily used when compelled by circumstances such as distance. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed our ability to deliver news in person and has required the medical community to increase the utilization of telephone and video conferencing to communicate with patients and their family members. Breaking bad news through virtual media is a new skill in need of further guidance and education regarding how to set up the conversation, provide empathy, and lend support (Wolf et al., Oncologist 25(6):e879-e880, 2020). Therefore, we have created a teaching toolbox to help educate healthcare providers on how to deliver bad news by phone or video.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Truth Disclosure , Communication , Humans , Pandemics , Physician-Patient Relations , TechnologyABSTRACT
Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma in lacrimal gland is a rare entity unlike its salivary gland counterpart. This rare tumor poses a diagnostic challenge to clinicians as pre-operative diagnosis is difficult and diagnosis is only by careful pathological assessment. We report this uncommon lesion in a 62-year-old lady, wherein the malignant component was mucoepidermoid carcinoma. The elderly patient remained clinically and radiologically free of the tumor for two years after complete excision of the tumor but computed tomography at the end of two and a half years showed a recurrent lesion in the region of the lacrimal gland. This makes long term follow up of patients with these rare lacrimal tumors imperative with a minimum period of at least five years.
