Making Sense of End-of-Life Care Decisions in Families: An Application of Relational Dialectics Theory

Abstract

End-of-life (EOL) care planning and decision making is a complex area in health communication that has important implications for families. Relational dialectics theory (RDT) can reveal how competing discourses emerge in family communication surrounding EOL care and shape the meaning of care choices for the family. The case presented illustrates the EOL care planning and decision making associated with a 73-year-old man diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive, malignant form of brain cancer. RDT offers a lens for examining the family communication involved with his EOL care decisions.