--- 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/547/atul-gawande-1871_death_in-other-words-our-decision-making-in-me_858386.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.” quote by Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/atul-gawande-1871_death_in-other-words-our-decision-making-in-me_858386.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/atul-gawande-1871_death_in-other-words-our-decision-making-in-me_858386.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/547/atul-gawande-1871_death_in-other-words-our-decision-making-in-me_858386.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.”” [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 decisions have become so flawed they cause harm rather than confronting death. **In simple terms:** Medicine sometimes harms instead of confronting mortality. Key Takeaway Reevaluate medical practices to avoid causing harm. Themes ethics medicine mortality Mood serious reflective Type ethical clinical When to use this quote - hospital protocols - end‑of‑life discussions - treatment guidelines Key Concepts clinical decision making patient care Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can prevent harmful decisions? - How do we define “active harm”? A Different Perspective Complex cases may still require intervention. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Doctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctor/) [Medicine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medicine/) [Mortality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mortality/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) ## 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-2/) [Atul Gawande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atul-gawande/) > [“Modern medicine has failed us in many ways but health is a journey that is never too late to begin. 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