Atul Gawande's book Being Mortal is a thoughtful and well researched review of how we treat our ill, elderly and dying. He suggests 5 questions to ask all patients as an opening discussion
- What is your understanding of where you are and of your illness?
- Your fears or worries for the future
- Your goals and priorities
- What outcomes are unacceptable to you? What are you willing to sacrifice and not?
- And later, what would a good day look like?
Asking these allows everybody to understand what the goal really is — what are you really fighting for? It’s for a life that contains certain things.
References
Gawande, A. (2014). Being mortal : medicine and what matters in the end / Atul Gawande: Medicine and what matters in the end / Atul Gawande (First edition.). New York: Metropolitan Books : Henry Holt & Company.