Atul Gawande
Modern medicine is so focused on fighting death that it often sacrifices the patient's actual quality of life. By asking the right questions, we can ensure our final days have profound purpose.
Modern medicine has medicalized aging and death, treating them as problems to be fixed rather than inevitable realities to be managed with dignity.
End-of-life care should be guided by specific conversations about a patient's fears, goals, and what they consider to be an acceptable quality of life.
Instead of merely listing treatment options, doctors must act as counselors who listen to a patient's priorities and recommend medical choices that align with those core goals.