Objectives: • Critique, from the view of providers, the potential benefits and drawbacks of integrating family caregivers into clinical encounters. • Describe provider attitudes, beliefs and ethical and clinical considerations that may affect the integration of family caregivers into clinical encounters. Importance: Family caregivers frequently accompany patients to clinical encounters, particularly when dealing with serious illnesses. Family caregivers, however, are not often invited to be active participants in clinical encounters.
