Affiliation:
1. Texas A&M University, USA
Abstract
This chapter uses a patient-centered communication framework to examine observational studies of patient and family engagement in communication about end-of-life care. It analyzes how the literature has connected communication with health outcomes in end-of-life care. Within this analysis, it brings together three main ideas. First, family plays an important and overlooked role in communication about end-of-life care. Second, the literature describes communication that serves multiple functions, and it describes the special challenges presented by end-of-life care communication. Finally, it links these communicative functions with health outcomes and outlines directions for future research.