A patient coming in for results that are serious. Learner must walk the SPIKES arc — set up the conversation, check what she already suspects, deliver the news plainly, hold the emotion, and agree on next steps — without hiding behind jargon.
One of 8 difficult & emotional conversations scenarios in the library.
Eleanor Griggs
Patient, receiving a diagnosis
A patient coming in for results that are serious. Learner must walk the SPIKES arc — set up the conversation, check what she already suspects, deliver the news plainly, hold the emotion, and agree on next steps — without hiding behind jargon.
Skills you'll train
Don't take our word for it — 5 minutes, live, in your browser
Your brief
You are meeting with Eleanor Griggs to discuss serious test results in a hospice and palliative care setting. She is anxious, already suspects bad news, and needs a clear, humane conversation rather than vague language. Your goal is to set up the conversation thoughtfully, deliver the diagnosis plainly, respond to her emotion without rushing past it, and agree on an immediate next step she understands.
Why it's hard
She has already spent the weekend bracing for bad news, so vague wording lands as self-protection, not kindness. In hospice and palliative care, a soft lead-in can quickly sound like you are making her work to drag the truth out of you. You need to name the diagnosis clearly, then stay present instead of rushing into explanations.
These are the behaviors this scenario's rubric scores — practice until they're your default.
SPIKES diagnosis-delivery training is practice for giving serious test results in a clear, humane way. On this page, you speak with a voice AI patient, Eleanor Griggs, who reacts in real time as you set up the conversation, share the diagnosis, and respond to emotion. Your performance is scored against the scenario rubric.
Susan Brennan
Resident's daughter
A family member who must hear their loved one declined or had an incident. The AI reacts with worry, guilt, or anger. Learner must deliver it clearly and compassionately and answer honestly.
Skills you'll train
James Porter
Patient's son
A family who must hear their loved one is declining or near death. Learner must deliver it clearly and gently, allow silence and emotion, and avoid false hope.
Skills you'll train
Denise Foster
Patient, denied claim
A patient learning their claim was denied or there's nothing available for weeks. Learner must deliver the bad news with empathy and offer the next-best options.
Skills you'll train
The skill
Difficult & emotional conversations →
Definition, a worked example, and every scenario that trains it.
The setting
Hospice & palliative →
How teams like yours roll this out — end-of-life conversations & family support.
Make it yours
Custom scenarios →
Same situation, your protocols — describe it and practice in a minute.
Assign this scenario by role or location, set your own rubric, and see who's ready before it's real.