Table 3. Communication tips (from 3, 5, 7, 14, 15, e5– e7).

Setting	– discussion in person, – optimally with a physician whom the patient knows already – appropriate atmosphere without disturbances – enable the patient to have a trusted person present – hold such discussions in the morning if possible, and not right before the weekend, so that the patient can ask follow-up questions in the afternoon or the next day – if necessary, divide the information to be imparted into smaller portions and communicate these bit by bit
Attitude	– sincerity – empathy – esteem, non-judgmental respect – giving a feeling of trust and security – active listening – awareness of emotions and behaving in a supportive way by leaving room for the patient’s fears and uncertainties – let the patient ask questions
Patient-centeredness	– see each patient (and relative) with their own personality and deal with them accordingly – respect the patient’s current preferences
Clarity	– mention dying and death explicitly – empathically and appropriately to the situation; this increases patient satisfaction and lessens mental stress in the dying phase, both for patients and for their relatives – check continually that the imparted information has been understood and provide summaries – avoid medical terminology, or explain it if necessary
Maintain hope, offer help	– discuss multiple scenarios for the future (e.g., best, worst, and typical cases) – if a cure is no longer possible, offer help nonetheless (e.g., give hope for the best possible quality of life, minimal symptom burden, and so on)
Culture-sensitive communication	– take account of the patient’s cultural and religious conceptions – make a connection with the corresponding local cultural and religious organizations for an exchange of ideas