Medical decisions are not just about the facts: What a life-threatening virus can teach us about empathy, psychology, and the practice of neurology.

Getting the facts about risk and benefit is a critical part of medical decision-making. But when doctors and patients disagree on what is reasonable risk, it takes more than a grasp of the data to establish the way forward. Our competence as physician-scientists relies on our ability to master the mechanics and information flow of our specialty. But we physicians, curious amalgams of scientists, scholars, researchers, and healers, should be aware of how we respond to the uniqueness of each of our physician-patient relationships, and be willing to explore ways in which the psychological and interpersonal dynamics influence the ethical, medically correct choices we pursue in them.