Lesswrong Sydney runs a local dojo once a month to talk about rationality topics. This month our topic was "medical decision making". This is our notes for considerations on how to make decisions. Please feel free to contribute your own small pieces of advice to this repository of considerations about making decisions in the medical world.

Expect to encounter the medical system sometime between now and when you die; for serious and life altering treatment. You should be prepared to work with limited information and under stress.

How do you make medical decisions?

Medical decisions are often made under stress/duress - during a medical issue or threat of death from condition.
- Have a patient advocate especially when under influential conditions because you may not be able to make good decisions. Have a friend in the room to be able to say “this person is not [...]

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Outline:

(00:42) How do you make medical decisions?

(04:34) Some Rules

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First published:
September 7th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/rR4n7iqfRdxMYbdMs/medical-decision-making

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

“Medical decision making” by Elo