title: Bioethics: communication and decision-making in advanced disease.
abstract: Effective communication is the cornerstone of excellence in patient care, and breakdown in communication is a common problem leading to requests for bioethics consultation. In palliative medicine, issues involving end-of-life decisions inherently involve many potential ethical concerns. Ensuring good communication among the physician, health care professionals, patient, and family will facilitate care, and avoid ethical problems. This chapter will address communication with patients, families, and health care professionals. Common ethical concerns such as withholding and withdrawing treatment modalities, medical futility, euthanasia, and assisted suicide will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Hematology/Oncology, The Harry R. Horvitz Center for Palliative Medicine, and the Taussig Cancer Center Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Stagno
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Zhukovsky
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D001675:Bioethics; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations