Asian Pacifc Journal of Cancer Prevention, Vol 13, 2012 2749 DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7314/APJCP.2012.13.6.2749 Preferences of Malaysian Cancer Patients in Communication of Bad News Asian Pacifc J Cancer Prev, 13, 2749-2752 Introduction The task of disclosing bad news to patients is something many doctors fnd challenging and unpleasant. Commonly cited barriers include lack of time, lack of training, lack of knowledge and emotional factors including fear, guilt, and personal experiences (Dosanjh et al., 2001; Supe, 2011). Despite attempts to include communication skills into the medical curriculum, junior doctors were perceived to be inadequately trained in communication of bad news (Chan, 2012). Guidelines on disclosing bad news were developed to aid healthcare professionals in performing the task (Baile et al., 2000). However, patients’ preferences and communication needs were not always consistent with the recommendations made (Butow et al., 1996). Thus, researchers began looking into patients’ preferences in this area of communication. The Measure of Patients’ Preferences (MPP) questionnaire was developed by Parker et al to explore 1 Department of Family Medicine, 2 Department of Internal Medicine, 3 Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur *For correspondence: christance@hotmail.com Abstract Background: Breaking bad news to cancer patients is a delicate and challenging task for most doctors. Better understanding of patients’ preferences in breaking bad news can guide doctors in performing this task. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the preferences of Malaysian cancer patients regarding the communication of bad news. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Oncology clinic of a tertiary teaching hospital. Two hundred adult cancer patients were recruited via purposive quota sampling. They were required to complete the Malay language version of the Measure of Patients’ Preferences (MPP-BM) with minimal researcher assistance. Their responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Association between demographic characteristics and domain scores were tested using non-parametric statistical tests. Results: Nine items were rated by the patients as essential: “Doctor is honest about the severity of my condition”, “Doctor describing my treatment options in detail”, “Doctor telling me best treatment options”, Doctor letting me know all of the different treatment options”, “Doctor being up to date on research on my type of cancer”, “Doctor telling me news directly”, “Being given detailed info about results of medical tests”, “Being told in person”, and “Having doctor offer hope about my condition”. All these items had median scores of 5/5 (IQR:4-5). The median scores for the three domains were: “Content and Facilitation” 74/85, “Emotional Support” 23/30 and “Structural and Informational Support” 31/40. Ethnicity was found to be signifcantly associated with scores for “Content and Facilitation” and “Emotional Support”. Educational status was signifcantly associated with scores for “Structural and Informational Support”. Conclusion: Malaysian cancer patients appreciate the ability of the doctor to provide adequate information using good communication skills during the process of breaking bad news. Provision of emotional support, structural support and informational support were also highly appreciated. Keywords: Patient preference - truth disclosure - palliative care RESEARCH COMMUNICATION Preferences of Malaysian Cancer Patients in Communication of Bad News Tan Chai Eng 1 , Hayati Yaakup 2 , Shamsul Azhar Shah 3 , Aida Jaffar 1 , Khairani Omar 1 this area (Parker et al., 2001). It consisted of 32 items which measured patients’ preferences in 3 key domains, which are Content, Facilitation and Support. It has been translated and validated in various countries including Japan (Fujimori et al., 2007), Italy (Mauri et al., 2009) and Singapore (Chiu et al., 2006). A Malay language version has been developed and validated in Malaysia, and confrmed to be valid and reliable (Cronbach alpha 0.81-0.93) (Tan et al., 2012). Studies utilizing the various language versions of the MPP have demonstrated that culture affected the patients’ preferences (Fujimori et al., 2007;Mauri et al., 2009). They also found associations between demographic factors such as gender (Parker et al., 2001; Chiu et al., 2006; Fujimori et al., 2007) and educational status ((Parker et al., 2001; Mauri et al., 2009)) affected patients’ preferences for the various domains measured. As there have hitherto been no such studies in Malaysia, the present study aimed to look into the preferences of Malaysian cancer patients in this regard.