Communicating with families of rehabilitation patients about "do not resuscitate" decisions.

Resuscitation discussions can elicit potent emotional reactions from both health care providers and consumers. In rehabilitation settings, decision making grows more difficult if decisions must be sought from family members or proxies of incompetent patients. There is ample room for emotions and lack of clarity to lead to dissatisfaction and heightened distress. This paper outlines legal, ethical, and psychological factors that must be managed if clear communication between health care providers and families is to occur. Issues are discussed that can clarify thinking at each stage of the communication process.