ETHICS AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE TERMINALLY ILL

Bioethical literature grapples with many difficult issues intrinsic to the terminal patient context, but little attention is paid to the eff ect of physician ethics on physician communication. Although physician s commit to treating the whole person, because of the possibility of i mminent death, they maintain a measured communication distance from te rminally ill patients. There is a disjunction between what is an ackno wledged ethical value and what is actually evidenced at the level of p hysical action and communication. This article explores the intersecti on between ethics and communication in the context of terminal illness by providing and demonstrating a model that places communication into ethical decision making.