Communicating with dying patients: a time to listen more than talk.

Effective communication is central to showing empathy at the end of someone's life, yet it is also perhaps the most difficult skill to get right. As a result, communication is one of the aspects of care that patients most often complain about (Healthcare Commission, 2007). It is widely accepted that effective communication is resource and time-intensive, although the benefits tend to outweigh these perceived drawbacks. More importantly, poor communication can have an impact on patients' decision-making in preparation for death.