This article describes a taxonomy of the hidden agenda contained in consultation issues identified during the authors' two years experience with the Oncology Unit of a large Veterans Administration Medical Center. The authors found that in an overwhelming majority of cases the motivation for referral was overdetermined. Not infrequently it was found that the staff was in need of support, while patients worked out their own destiny. A framework for understanding the conceptual themes of the taxonomy is formulated in terms of general systems theory.
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