This volume explains how to develop a set of patient and physician goals for improving quality of life, resolving end of life issues, and treating dying patients. The author, Dr. Joseph Fins, pragmatically blends ethical theory and clinical practice, presenting readers with theoretical and historical considerations about end of life care and offering practical wisdom about the care of dying patients and their families. A Palliative Ethic of Care employs the ground-breaking Goals of Care Assessment Tool (GCAT) as a framework of knowledge that links practical considerations about patient care with more theoretical concerns to provide deeper insights into why end-of-life care is so challenging and to help foster necessary reform in how people die.