Hansen, Patricia, Philip Cornish, and Karen Kayser. "Family conferences as forums for decision making in hospital settings." Social Work in Health Care 27.3 (1998): 57-74.

This paper examines the complexities of family conferences in hospitals, where patients, families, and hospital staff meet to discuss patient conditions and future planning. It outlines the three phases of these conferences: preparation, the meeting itself, and follow-up. An exploratory review of recent conferences at an acute and rehabilitation teaching hospital reveals that while these meetings are effective for hospital staff, they are primarily used to inform family members and make collective decisions about patient care, rather than providing information directly to patients about their illness and treatment.