Table 1.
Selected good practice points (GPPs) and literature recommendations among those with the highest score
| Recommendations | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| - Communication within the scientific community | ||
| Research and communication | ||
| 1 | News and information about new clinical trials should be disseminated, and the sources should be duly cited | 9 |
| 2 | All medical and pharmaceutical information should be free of manifest publicity and of benefit to interested parties | 9 |
| 3 | Any form of sensationalism, including innovative therapies, should be avoided, both in the terminology used and in any graphic support tools. [1, 12] | 9 |
| 4 | It is necessary to make the contents and results of scientific research understandable and interesting while maintaining their truthfulness and using understandable language | 9 |
| 5 | Communication professionals should produce clear and concise messages in an attempt to facilitate public understanding. [13] | 8 |
| 6 | Moreover, they should also produce clear and concise messages in an attempt to facilitate public understanding. [14] | 8 |
| - Communication with the patients | ||
| General considerations | ||
| 7 | Most cancer patients want a better dialogue with clinicians | 8 |
| Diagnosis and prognosis | ||
| 8 | It is advisable to avoid arousing excessive fear or excessive hope in communication | 9 |
| 9 | Effective communication increases people’s satisfaction, reduces distress, promotes faster recovery and improves pain control, adherence to treatment and quality of life. [33, 34] | 8 |
| 10 | It is desirable to use simple language to describe cancer and its treatment. Too much technical language can have a negative impact on informed consent, adherence to therapy and screening. [8, 35] | 8 |
| Standard and experimental treatment options | ||
| 11 | Providing information about treatment options gradually and constantly verifying the understanding of the discussed, can help improve the assimilation of the notions by the patient and the therapeutic alliance with the doctor. [1] | 9 |
| 12 | Appropriately clarifying the purposes of treatment, the expected outcome and the inconveniences potentially related to each treatment option can facilitate the understanding and assimilation of information by the patient and improve the therapeutic alliance with the doctor. [1] | 8 |
| 13 | More patient information during the informed consent process can help manage your expectations regarding the measurement and probability of the expected benefits of genomic sequencing analysis. [16] | 8 |
| End of life | ||
| 14 | Early communication on palliative care and end-of-life issues is recommended in the case of diagnosis of incurable malignant diseases with limited life expectancy. [36] | 8 |
| 15 | Preventing and treating end-of-life pain and discomfort between patients and their loved ones is appropriate and an empathic response in this regard is important, as well as being familiar with patients and informing them about the local resources available to provide support to them and their loved ones, also in order to avoid the continuation of aggressive, burdensome and expensive treatments. [1, 37] | 8 |
| Information | ||
| 16 | In order to reduce the risk of a perception not adhering to reality about the curability of the disease of a patient suffering from metastatic pathology, the doctor should take into account sex, education, clinical conditions, work and the country of origin of the same in order to improve medical-patient communication and patient care. [38] | 8 |
| Gender identity and sex-related topics | ||
| 17 | Avoiding preconceptions about sexual orientation and gender identity can help make all patients feel accepted and empowered. Likewise, doctors should use non-critical language when talking about sexuality and sexual orientation. [8] | 8.5 |
| Caregiver | ||
| 18 | Family involvement can improve target-related communication in patients with advanced cancer. In this regard, the doctor should take into account the opinions of patients about the involvement of their family in the course of the disease, how the disease can affect the well-being of the family itself, as well as the family’s expectations about the purposes of processing [1, 39, 40] | 8 |
| 19 | Caregivers of cancer patients tend to make extensive use of social networks in order to find useful information for the management of loved ones. It is essential that medical and paramedical personnel understand this and appropriately direct the caregiver towards adequate sources of information, trying to reduce the risk of misinformation. [41] | 8 |
| Screening | ||
| 20 | It is desirable to implement personalised communication strategies (e.g. dedicated telephone line) of appointments and the purposes of cancer screening (not only breast) with particular regard to those groups of subjects potentially at high risk, where communication by correspondence alone may be insufficient. [42] | 8 |
| - Communication with the media | ||
| Journalistic communication | ||
| 21 | The journalist should ensure that the medical-pharmaceutical information is as correct as possible so as not to create false expectations | 9 |
| 22 | It is necessary to provide journalists with effective, simple and concise information on therapies and reference therapeutic innovations | 8 |
| 23 | Physicians and journalists must work together with respect for patients' dignity and the right/duty to inform | 9 |
| 24 | It is necessary to adapt the language and the channel used to the characteristics of the audience to be reached. [25] | 8 |
| Web, social networks, data-sharing websites, and platforms | ||
| 25 | It is necessary to safeguard patients from social networks refuting fake news | 8 |
| 26 | Social networks can provide cancer patients with emotional support and information to improve their quality of life. [6] | 8 |
| 27 | Among the content sharing platforms, YouTube seems to be the most popular and widespread source of health information for patients with different clinical conditions. It is therefore desirable that healthcare professionals approach this type of media in order to ensure reliable and comprehensive information to the patient. [14] | 8 |
| 28 | Health authorities must make available a multiplicity of relevant information through multiple channels. [25] | 8 |
| 29 | Health authorities must also take an active role in combating misinformation on the web and on social media. [25] | 8 |
| 30 | It is necessary to acquire communication skills to inform and interact with patients through digital technology: how to listen/detect patients' needs, provide guidance in simple (understandable) and comprehensive language (don’t take anything for granted) to meet their information needs | 8 |