Background: Breaking bad news encompasses conveying information that significantly impacts an individual’s view of their present and future. In emergency departments (EDs), medical professionals often face the challenge of delivering distressing news. This study explored patient and family preferences for receiving bad news in the ED, considering sociodemographic factors such as education and gender. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 304 patients from the ED of King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The participants were divided into four groups based on their gender and educational level. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Patients with a high education level strongly preferred receiving full details regarding their medical condition and desired to be told privately. Considering gender differences, female patients preferred to communicate with their physicians through a formal and gentle approach. Whereas, male patients preferred receiving bad news through one of their family members. In addition, 51.3% of the participants (n = 156) indicated that they preferred their family members to be in a nearby waiting room while they were undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Conclusion: When emergency physicians deliver bad news to their patients or the patients’ families, it is advisable to consider factors such as the patient’s gender and educational level. Sitting face-to-face in a separate room was reported as the best way to deliver bad news to family members. Most importantly, patients wanted to learn more about their medical condition and have their family members waiting nearby while CPR was performed.

Keywords: Emergency department, break bad news, preferences.