Empowering or frightening? Sharing uncertainty with patients

Abstract

When troubling symptoms or serious illness occur, patients can find it harder to cope with the uncertainty than their doctors, as their health, even their existence, is at stake. Patients’ concerns mirror the uncertainties doctors face and can be classified into analysing uncertainty, negotiating uncertainty, networking uncertainty and team-working uncertainty. This article focusses on understanding patients’ responses to uncertainty; then the impact of different doctor–patient relationship styles and interactions is explored. Skills and strategies for sharing uncertainty with patients follow.