This Article  • Full text  • PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Related articles  • Similar articles in this journal

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

In the article by Wenrich et al¹ about communicating with dying patients, the authors discuss reasons why physicians might find such communications difficult. An additional reason is that of physicians' fear of patient and/or family anger directed at them (whether that anger is due to actual or perceived physician failing, or due to displaced feelings such as guilt). It is also important, when interpreting patient reports of inadequate physician communication, to acknowledge that patients sometimes simply do not hear what they are told. These 2 points are not intended to be excuses—it is a physician's responsibility to attempt to overcome communication barriers—but rather to point out relevant factors not discussed in the article.

Daniel Reinharth, MD
New Hyde Park, NY

1. Wenrich MD, Curtis JR, Shannon SE, Carline JD, Ambrozy DM, Ramsey PG. Communicating with dying patients within the spectrum of medical care from terminal diagnosis to death. Arch Intern Med. 2001;161:868-874. FREE FULL TEXT

In reply

We appreciate Dr Reinharth's thoughtful comments concerning why physicians might find communicating with dying patients difficult. Dr Reinharth comments that physicians' fear of patient and/or family anger directed . . . [Full Text of this Article]

RELATED ARTICLES

Communicating With Dying Patients Within the Spectrum of Medical Care From Terminal Diagnosis to Death
Marjorie D. Wenrich, J. Randall Curtis, Sarah E. Shannon, Jan D. Carline, Donna M. Ambrozy, and Paul G. Ramsey
Arch Intern Med. 2001;161(6):868-874.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Why Don't Patients and Physicians Talk About End-of-Life Care?: Barriers to Communication for Patients With Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and Their Primary Care Clinicians
J. Randall Curtis, Donald L. Patrick, Ellen S. Caldwell, and Ann C. Collier
Arch Intern Med. 2000;160(11):1690-1696.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT