ABCDE assessment for palliative care truth-telling dilemmas: a case study

Abstract

Background: In Indonesia, the diagnosis of a serious illness is often mediated through the patient's family, reflecting the cultural importance of family involvement in the patient's care and collective decision-making.

Aim: To use a case study to show the difficulty that healthcare professionals face telling the patient the truth about their condition in Indonesia.

Method: The Kagawa-Singer and Blackhall ABCDE framework was used during truth-telling dilemmas to assess patients' and families' attitudes (A), beliefs (B), contexts (C), decision-making styles (D) and environments (E).

Findings: Studies have shown that family involvement in health-related communications can alleviate the stress associated with the disclosure of a serious illness. Palliative care nurses must acknowledge the importance of family in the patient's cultural context, by involving them in the disclosure of a diagnosis and disease trajectory by integrating every element of the ABCDE model in palliative care.