Giving A Patient A Prognosis

Doctors, these days, are very reluctant to give patients a prognosis -- far too reluctant, I would say. From one point of view, this is understandable, as the time of death is uncertain, and one can easily make a mistake. It is also an emotionally explosive issue. So people not seldom turn to the minister -- as a woman did last year. I said she really couldn't rely on anything I said, and I told her why, but "It could be six weeks, maybe three." She said: "That's a bit depressing." Then she told me that she was getting better. She died four weeks later. OBSERVATION: After the prognosis, I received a lovely welcome from her in hospital -- and while I can't be sure, my intuition is that she was deeply grateful for my prognosis. It can make a big difference in people's lives, for the good (see Predicting Death).