Communication between the hospitalized older patient and physician.

Much research has shown that how physicians communicate with patients can have profound influence on behavioral, psychosocial, and clinical outcomes of the encounter. Communication with older patients, however, is often compromised by some attributes of the aging process. Communication can also be affected by the setting in which it takes place, and the hospital presents some barriers not found in ambulatory sites. These concerns are often compounded in end-of-life decisions for older patients when discussed in hospital settings.