Between screens and diagnoses: Delivering bad news to cancer patients in telemedicine

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v15i1.50541

Keywords:

Health communication, Oncology, Telemedicine services.

Abstract

This review aimed to evaluate and demonstrate the impact of telemedicine on delivering bad news, especially to cancer patients. It is a narrative literature review, in which 21 articles were selected from the BVS and PubMed databases. The results showed that the use of telemedicine for communicating bad news in oncology contexts has had several repercussions on care and the doctor-patient relationship. Limitations were highlighted, such as difficulties in welcoming patients and connection failures, as well as benefits, such as multidisciplinary presence and reduction of geographical barriers. Consequently, this resource has been widely applied recently, with several adaptations, such as improvements to communication protocols. Thus, it can be inferred that remote communication, despite still facing challenges, is a tool with significant advantages in the field of oncology. Thus, it is noted that the combination of in-person and virtual models, in addition to improved professional training and refined protocols, can maintain the quality and humanization of care.

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Published

2026-01-21

Issue

Section

Health Sciences

How to Cite

Between screens and diagnoses: Delivering bad news to cancer patients in telemedicine. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 15, n. 1, p. e4515150541, 2026. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v15i1.50541. Disponível em: https://rsdjournal.org/rsd/article/view/50541. Acesso em: 22 jan. 2026.