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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Sep 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Am Geriatr Soc. 2015 Aug 17;63(9):1805–1811. doi: 10.1111/jgs.13615

Figure 1.

Figure 1

The “best case/worst case” tool involves the drawing of a pen-and-paper diagram by the physician. Each treatment option is depicted by a vertical bar, and the length of the bar represents the range of possible outcomes. The “best case” is represented by a star, the “worst case” by a box, and the “most likely” outcome by an oval. The physician describes each “case” using narrative derived from clinical experience and relevant evidence, and writes key points on the diagram. Abbreviation: ICU, intensive care unit.