In July, Dr. Atul Gawande published a much talked about article on aggressive medical interventions for dying patients–and how patients and doctors must work together to decide priorities for how and when to treat illnesses for those facing the end of life.

In October, Dr. Gawande discussed the four important points for doctors to discuss with terminally ill patients about their end-of-life care. Instead of pressing patients to make hard decisions, Gawande emphasizes the importance of asking questions about their hopes and fears.