Public Health Book Reads

Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending. Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. He offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.

In this film, renowned surgeon and writer Atul Gawande teams with FRONTLINE to bring his personal journey- and the stories of his patients and their families- to life, and challenges us to reexamine how we think about death and dying. Having a conversation around the question "What are your priorities if your time is limited?" can empower patients to live their lives fully.