Ethics and Communication With the Terminally Ill

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Abstract
Bioethical literature grapples with many difficult issues intrinsic to the terminal patient context, but little attention is paid to the effect of physician ethics on physician communication. Although physicians commit to treating the whole person, because of the possibility of imminent death, they maintain a measured communication distance from terminally ill patients. There is a disjunction between what is an acknowledged ethical value and what is actually evidenced at the level of physical action and communication. This article explores the intersection between ethics and communication in the context of terminal illness by providing and demonstrating a model that places communication into ethical decision making.