Physicians should make every attempt to get on the same page as the patient or the patient's family. A review of the immediate events that led to the patient's reason for presentation can serve as the starting point for building a relationship with patients and families because it can help avoid confusion about diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment, and it can help avoid distrust of the physician. Most importantly, the review helps lead the patient to the all-important “bracing moment.” The review should start with the physician asking the patient or the family about their understanding of the situation or their reason for presentation. In the case of sudden tragedies, it may be more appropriate to do the review using just a few sentences that explain how the patient became sick enough to result in death or severe impairment. For example, “As you know, Ms Smith, your husband collapsed while doing yardwork. While being transported to the hospital, the paramedics needed to place a tube in his airway because he stopped breathing. When he arrived, he was not breathing and he had no heart rate.”