--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In other words, our decision making in…" description: "\"“In other words, our decision making in medicine has failed so spectacularly that we have reached the point of actively inflicting harm on patients rat..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/atul-gawande-1871_death_in-other-words-our-decision-making-in-me_1905460.jpg" --- # In other words, our decision making in medicine has failed… ![“In other words, our decision making in medicine has failed so spectacularly that we have reached the point of actively inflicting harm on patients rather than confronting the subject of mortality. If end-of-life discussions were an experimental drug, the FDA would approve it. Patients” quote by Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/atul-gawande-1871_death_in-other-words-our-decision-making-in-me_1905460.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/atul-gawande-1871_death_in-other-words-our-decision-making-in-me_1905460.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebd/atul-gawande-1871_death_in-other-words-our-decision-making-in-me_1905460.jpg) > ““In other words, our decision making in medicine has failed so spectacularly that we have reached the point of actively inflicting harm on patients rather than confronting the subject of mortality. If end-of-life discussions were an experimental drug, the FDA would approve it. Patients”” [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Medical decision‑making often harms patients when it avoids confronting mortality; open dialogue is needed. **In simple terms:** Avoiding death discussions leads to harmful care. Key Takeaway Encourage honest end‑of‑life conversations. Themes healthcare mortality communication Mood cautious empathetic Type clinical ethical When to use this quote - hospital rounds - palliative care planning - family meetings Key Concepts medical ethics patient autonomy Questions to Reflect On - How can clinicians foster comfort in these talks? - What barriers exist for patients discussing death? A Different Perspective Cultural taboos can hinder frank discussions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [End Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-life/) [Harm Patients](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm-patients-825468/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Medicine Failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine-failed-745480/) [Mortality End](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality-end-2838272/) [Patients Confronting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patients-confronting-825470/) ## Related quotes > [“In other words, our decision making in medicine has failed so spectacularly that we have reached the point of actively inflicting harm on patients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/in-other-words-our-decision-making-in-medicine-has-failed-so/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [We made bad use of immortality, and so ended up dying; Christ made good use of mortality, so that we might end up living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-made-bad-use-of-immortality-and-so-ended-up-dying-christ-made-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The smuggling and distribution of misbranded drugs and medical devices of uncertain foreign origin has the potential for serious harm to patients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-boente/the-smuggling-and-distribution-of-misbranded-drugs-and-medical/) [Dana Boente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-boente/) > [“Modern medicine has failed us in many ways but health is a journey that is never too late to begin. 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It made no difference that she was an expert in end-of-life discussions. “I just felt awful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/going-back-in-was-really-uncomfortable-she-said-it-made-no-difference/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [“end-of-life discussions were an experimental drug, the FDA would approve it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/end-of-life-discussions-were-an-experimental-drug-the-fda-would/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [“In other words, people who had substantive discussions with their doctor about their end-of-life preferences were far more likely to die at peace and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/in-other-words-people-who-had-substantive-discussions-with-their/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [Through a grandmother's voice and hands the end of life is known at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/through-a-grandmother-s-voice-and-hands-the-end-of-life-is-known-at/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“Nobody dies a virgin coze in the end life fucks us all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-eye-cetricklj/nobody-dies-a-virgin-coze-in-the-end-life-fucks-us-all/) [C-eye Cetricklj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-eye-cetricklj/) > [The end of life is to be like unto God; and the soul following God, will be like unto Him; He being the beginning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/the-end-of-life-is-to-be-like-unto-god-and-the-soul-following-god/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [At the end of my life, I want to say that I made the world a better place because I raised good children, loved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/at-the-end-of-my-life-i-want-to-say-that-i-made-the-world-a-better/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [You might not think it now, but if you are one of God's children, you are going to figure it out by the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macdonald/you-might-not-think-it-now-but-if-you-are-one-of-god-s-children-you/) [James MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macdonald/) > [You get to a certain point in your life where you get closer to the end of your life than the beginning, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmylou-harris/you-get-to-a-certain-point-in-your-life-where-you-get-closer-to-the/) [Emmylou Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmylou-harris/) > [“What matters is at the end of life, when you're about to pass into oblivion, that you've at least scratched 'Kilroy was here,' on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/what-matters-is-at-the-end-of-life-when-you-re-about-to-pass-into/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) ## More by Atul Gawande > [Don’t let yourself be. Find something new to try, something to change. Count how often it succeeds and how often it doesn’t. Write about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/don-t-let-yourself-be-find-something-new-to-try-something-to-change/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [“Wilson spent several days camped out in one government office after another until she had secured an exemption. Unbelievably, she and her husband cleared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/wilson-spent-several-days-camped-out-in-one-government-office-after/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [What is needed, however, isn't just that people working together be nice to each other. It is discipline. Discipline is hard--harder than trustworthiness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/what-is-needed-however-isn-t-just-that-people-working-together-be/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [“8. 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You will only find meaning in what you struggle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/developing-a-skill-is-painful-though-it-is-difficult-and-that-s-part/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [Just look at the list of who the lowest-paid people are. Pediatricians are at the bottom. You would also look at internists. You would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/just-look-at-the-list-of-who-the-lowest-paid-people-are-pediatricians/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [“When Felix came to this crossroads, the orthopedic shoe to drop wasn’t his. It was Bella’s. Year by year, I witnessed the progression in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atul-gawande/when-felix-came-to-this-crossroads-the-orthopedic-shoe-to-drop-wasn-t/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) [Explore all 200 Atul Gawande quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. 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Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) [J. Anthony Torino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-anthony-torino/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) [Alan W. 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