In Shakespeare's As You Like It, Jacques says, 'All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players'. In plays, as in life, characters will face a variety of difficult dilemmas and as the plots unfold, we see decisions unravel. As doctors, we make decisions with and on behalf of patients, and the hardest decisions are likely to be those with the highest human cost. We make decisions every day and we try to make good decisions. Many decisions are made easily and quickly, without any need to think or consider the decision very much. Other decisions are more difficult, some seemingly impossible. We are all familiar with the sinking feeling and uncertainty that comes when faced with a difficult decision. Whatever the decision, whether easy or difficult, good or bad, we are accountable for our decisions and patients bear the consequences. We need to make good decisions and improve our decision making.
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