title: Discussing life-sustaining treatments: an overview and communications guide for primary care physicians.
abstract: Physicians must be skilled communicators with patients, families, and multidisciplinary health care teams to meet ethical decision-making challenges arising in end-stage disease care. We offer practical suggestions for collaborative communication in the "perfect storm" of contemporary critical care settings.
authors.affiliation: Swedish Covenant Hospital, Ethics Department, 5145 N. California Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625-3642, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Dugan
authors.forename: Eric H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Gluck
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives; D003142:Communication; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006801:Humans; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000941:ethics; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D013727:Terminal Care