Conflicts in consultation

Conflicts in the medical care of patients are to be expected, since much of patient care remains an art. No less an art is the practice of inter-physician communication which should be the cornerstone of consultation medicine. Improved clarity of the reason for the consult and improved compliance with the recommendations themselves will result from effort devoted to these communications. When conflicts arise, however, and progress to the extreme, ethical guidelines as outlined in this article may help to provide an approach toward resolution.