"Lose not an hour": patient decision-making and improving quality services through the prism of renal care

This paper will discuss the scarcest resource in the world--the days of people's lives. And how to help all to live to the fullest. There is some room, of course, for patients and professionals to disagree. Sometimes there might be too much emphasis on the professional view. Disagree? Well, we should remember that though the "Titanic" was built by professionals, the "Ark" was built by amateurs! Society needs to find new answers for empowering patient decision making about the quantity, quality and access to care. Without changes in financial structures there is little prospect of empowering patients to make decisions for themselves and empowering professionals to do the job as they hope to do it.