The doctor's answer should list what other options were considered (i.e. those that were discarded in favour of the recommended action). For example, if a patient had been newly dicovered to have diabetes, a decision would have to be made to start the patient on a diet alone or to to combine it with medication. The decision would depend on the severity of the diabetes and the rate of progression. The options might thus be:
Diet alone
Diet with metformin
Diet with a sulphonylurea
Diet with insulin
Ideally the choice should depend on direct experience of a randomised control trial conducted on patients with a similar age, gender, symptoms, examination findings and test results to the patient on whom the decision is to be made.
© Huw Llewelyn 2016