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Table 1 First transcript about emphasising patients’ emotional needs

From: A study of Chinese medical students’ communication pattern in delivering bad news: an ethnographic discourse analysis approach

38

Patient

So perhaps I should have consulted a doctor earlier? I had already been coughing and had felt unwell for quite a while. Does it mean that if I had consulted a doctor earlier…

39

Medical Student

Um, so I can tell that you might be feeling quite unhappy right now and also are blaming yourself a little bit, but we shouldn’t think about things the way we are thinking now. How about we come up with something that can make you feel better? Then you will feel less suffocated and you will feel less pain in your chest. So, we will, um, heal you and we want to help with whatever we can. So, let’s see and think about what can help, help with your suffering, just like that, yeah. And also heal you up. Then, as for how, and, um, erm, as for what you said about seeing the doctors earlier could have prevented this from happening, actually, actually, at this moment we, it’s better for us not to think about it, then we can, then we can at this moment, I mean how about we focus on how to cure your disease now, is that okay?Ah yes, you can find me any time, erm, if you have any questions that you want to ask me, you can get these nurses to let me know, I will, erm, also do my best of course. That means if I am free, then I will, erm, as soon as possible, erm, reply and talk to you about that, your condition, I mean.