Patients and family members want you, the attending physician, to be involved, and they want to know what is happening. Ask yourself, “what would I expect if this situation involved one of my family members?” Conversations should be timely, accurate, and focused on the known facts of that moment. Expressing empathy for what the patient and/or the family is going through will go a long way in preserving the patient/physician relationship. We will discuss the difference between empathy and apology later in this program.