Continuous, open communication is key to building trust and preventing conflict

Providers should seek to understand each patient’s life outside the context of illness including understanding their values, hopes, and fears and how these relate to goals of care

Providers should refrain from prematurely labeling interventions as futile or using this as justification for withholding or withdrawing care. Instead, they should first ensure a clear understanding of the patient’s medical goals and elicit input from relevant specialists to ensure a clear understanding of the clinical situation

Teams should involve communication experts, such as palliative care providers or hospital ethics committees, when faced with conflict around appropriate care

Institutions should have policies regarding conscientious objections. These should ensure that conscientious objections do not impede timely patient care or create excessive hardship for members of the medical team