Family Caregivers, Patients and Physicians: Ethical Guidance to Optimize Relationships

Excerpt

Authors Reply:— We would like to congratulate Jennifer L. Wolff and Debra L. Roter on their recently completed meta-analysis of patient-family-physician interactions and experiences during routine physician visits and to thank them for highlighting these important empirical studies. We would also like to thank them for their acknowledgement of the American College of Physicians Family Caregivers position statement. As Drs. Wolff and Roter note, those who accompany patients to physician visits may have varying levels of participation in patient care, and physicians need to be cognizant of the extent to which family caregivers are involved. As physicians continue to develop a more comprehensive approach to patient care that addresses family caregiver concerns, we also hope to collaborate with our colleagues in other disciplines who have long recognized the value and importance of the family-centered approach. …