Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Communication Training at the Medical Faculties in Spain?

Abstract

This study aimed to assess whether Spanish hospitals have enhanced their protocols and training for breaking bad news in response to the pandemic. Employing a qualitative approach, the research integrated three tools: in-depth interviews with healthcare professionals, content analysis of medicine curricula from universities in Catalonia and Andalusia, and a literature review of protocols for communicating bad news. The findings revealed a significant increase in the contents and subjects in the communication of bad news within the analyzed curricula due to the pandemic. Additional topics such as technology, emotional management, and humanism were incorporated. While the hospital protocols showed a relatively less pronounced increment, there was evidence of the development of protocols specifically focused on communicating bad news via phone or video calls. In conclusion, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about changes in the training of doctors, leading to an enriched curriculum despite a more modest increase in hospital protocols.