Mastering Communication with Seriously Ill Patients

Doctors caring for patients with life-threatening illnesses face difficult communication challenges. Patients and family members may react to difficult messages with sadness, anxiety, anger or denial. This book defines specific communication tasks related to talking to patients with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Topics include communicating bad news, transitioning to palliative care, discussing goals of care planning, existential and spiritual issues and other conflicts at the end of life. Drs. Anthony Back, Robert Arnold and James Tulsky combine empirical research with their own experience to bring the topic of difficult and challenging conversations into focus.