The SAD NEWS model is just one example of a strategy to break bad news. It emphasizes the need to prepare yourself and the setting, to sit down with the patient, to ask what the patient knows before imparting the bad news, deliver the bad news without fancy lingo, to expect and respond to emotion and to wait until the patient is ready to move on. Lastly, it is important to provide support for the patient and to answer all of his/her questions and address their concerns before leaving them.

Other models include:

SPIKES

ABCDE

References:

• Building the Skill of Delivering Bad News. Schubert C. &Chambers, P. Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , Pages 165 - 172 C .
• Breaking bad news: the S-P-I-K-E-S strategy:
  
  • http://www.communityoncology.net/journal/articles/0202138.pdf
    
• American Family Physician: Breaking Bad news
  • http://www.aafp.org/afp/20011215/1975.html
    
• Krahn, et al. Are there good ways to give bad news? PEDIATRICS Vol. 91 No. 3 March 1993, pp. 578-582
  • http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/3/578
    
• Minichiello T., Ling D, Ucci D. Breaking bad news: A practical approach for the hospitalist. Journal of Hospital Medicine Dec 14, 2007. Vol 2 issue 6 pages 415-421.
• Randall T, Wearn A. Receiving bad news: patients with haematological cancer reflect upon their experience. Palliative Medicine 2005; 19; 594
  • http://pmj.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/19/8/594