Three patients’ experiences show how customized—and ongoing— explanations of health care options can preserve patients’ agency in making choices about treatment

Retired oceanographic engineer Mr. M was dining out at a restaurant with his granddaughter when he began noticing some difficulty swallowing. Two months and a series of tests later, Mr. M was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Lou Gehrig’s disease. He enrolled in the nearest interdisciplinary ALS clinic and immersed himself in its thorough patient education curriculum.