How to Deliver the Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease

As clinicians, it’s never easy breaking difficult news to a Veteran. Fear of causing discomfort to a Veteran or family member can prevent us from dealing with issues with complete honesty. Also, many providers may not have been taught how to have these delicate conversations. But there are ways to deliver difficult news with compassion, as we will demonstrate in this training video. We recommend using an empathic and well-thought out approach that follows the steps outlined in the acronym, SPIKES. It stands for “Setting”, “Perception”, “Invitation”, “Knowledge”, “Empathy” and “Strategy”. In this program, you will watch a Physician use the SPIKES protocol when delivering the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease to a Veteran. The health care information provided in these materials is for educational purposes only. It does not replace the role of a medical practitioner for advice on care and treatment.