An interview with a lawyer, who became the poster child for a patient's right to refuse treatment when he suffered severe burns as a young man, discusses the importance of good communication skills in the patient-physician relationship.

Physicians must be able to decide when to accept a patient's decision in the event that the decision seems irrational or does not seem to be in the patient's best interest.

Physicians should approach potentially difficult patients in the emergency department with calm reassurances, in the presence of aides or security to assist the physician, and determine whether emergency or urgent medical care is needed.

Medical trivia about the ethical issues surrounding patient-requested amputations.

A physician describes the case of a woman with delusional parasitosis and his decision to share her diagnosis with her psychiatrist but not with her.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis raises ethical and moral concerns about using one person as a means to save another, especially as highlighted in recent cases where parents have more children in the hopes of saving a sick child.

Yeongchi Wu, a physiatrist who worked for two decades for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, is recognized as a role model for his many inventions to help people with disabilities and for championing the needs of amputees.

The editor believes the patient-physician relationship is impacted by naming conventions for physicians.

Little-known trivia about race, ethnicity, and the patient-physician relationship.

A family physician enters into contract with a clinical research organization to recruit patients. As a clinical investigator, she is paid for each patient she recruits. Ethical questions for discussion are raised.