AMC Clinical (Part 2 OSCE) key terms

The main symptom or concern that brings a patient to consultation, stated in the patient's own words and used to open the history before any detail is gathered.

A prompt that invites a broad answer rather than yes or no, used early in the interview to let the patient describe their concern in their own terms.

Interview behaviour such as nodding, silence, and brief prompts that encourages a patient to keep talking without steering the content of what they say.

Deliberately attending to a patient's words, tone, and emotion, then reflecting or summarising them so the patient feels heard and the clinician checks understanding.

Briefly restating the key points a patient has given, used to confirm accuracy, signal progress through the interview, and invite correction before moving on.

Telling the patient what section of the interview or examination is coming next, which reduces uncertainty and helps them follow the structure of the consultation.

A structured account of the current problem covering onset, character, timing, severity, aggravating and relieving factors, and associated symptoms.

A feature in the history or examination that suggests serious or urgent disease, such as weight loss, night pain, or neurological deficit, and prompts escalation.

A framework for exploring what a patient thinks is wrong, what worries them, and what they hope will happen, which shapes explanation and shared planning.

Negotiating at the start of a consultation which problems will be covered, so that both patient and clinician priorities are known and the time is used deliberately.

A record of previous illnesses, operations, hospital admissions, and chronic conditions that may influence the current problem, its risks, or its treatment.

An account of current and recent medicines including dose, adherence, over-the-counter products, and allergies, needed to assess interactions and cause of symptoms.

Documentation of known drug, food, or environmental allergies and the reaction type, essential before prescribing and before any procedure involving medication or contrast.

Information about occupation, living arrangements, relationships, smoking, alcohol, and other drugs, used to understand risk and the patient's practical context.

Illnesses among blood relatives, including age at onset, which can reveal inherited risk and guide screening or further investigation for the patient.

Any sign that a child or vulnerable adult may be at risk of abuse or neglect, which creates a duty to act, record, and escalate rather than manage alone.

A legal obligation in some jurisdictions to notify authorities about certain conditions, injuries, or risks, even where confidentiality would otherwise apply.

The duty to keep patient information private, disclosing only with consent or where law or serious public risk justifies it, explained to the patient in advance.

Agreement to an examination, investigation, or treatment given freely by a patient who understands its purpose, risks, benefits, and alternatives.

Permission sought before touching a patient, including explaining what will be done, why, and offering a chaperone, with the right to decline respected.

A third person present during an intimate or sensitive examination to support the patient and protect both parties, offered routinely and documented.

Practical respect for the patient during examination through screening, appropriate exposure, careful draping, and explaining each step before it happens.

The first phase of physical examination, using careful looking at the exposed and unexposed body for asymmetry, colour, swelling, or other visible abnormality.

Examining by touch to assess temperature, tenderness, texture, size, and position of structures, performed with warm hands and watching the patient's face for response.

Tapping a body surface to assess the density of underlying tissue by the sound produced, distinguishing resonant, dull, and tympanic areas.

Listening with a stethoscope to sounds generated within the body, such as breath, heart, or bowel sounds, noting timing, intensity, and added sounds.

Measured indicators of physiological state, typically pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, temperature, and oxygen saturation, used to detect deterioration.

A targeted physical assessment directed by the history to test specific hypotheses, rather than a complete head-to-toe routine, when time or relevance is limited.

A ranked list of possible explanations for a patient's problem, ordered by likelihood and danger, which guides further questions, tests, and initial management.

A one-sentence summary of the case using key defining features, age, and time course, which frames the clinical reasoning that follows.

A concise statement combining the most likely diagnosis with supporting evidence and important negatives, stated before the management plan is described.

The estimated chance a patient has a condition before a test is done, which determines whether testing will meaningfully change management.

Choosing a plan jointly with the patient by presenting options, evidence, and uncertainties, then incorporating the patient's values and preferences.

Advice given at the end of a consultation about what to do if symptoms worsen or fail to settle, including when and how to seek review.

Explaining a condition and its treatment in plain language, checking recall, and using written or visual aids so the patient can act on the information.

Asking the patient to repeat the plan in their own words so the clinician can confirm understanding and correct any misunderstanding before they leave.

A patient's ability to obtain and understand health information to make decisions, which shapes how explanation should be pitched and checked.

A patient's ability at a given time to understand, retain, weigh, and communicate a decision about their care, assessed rather than assumed.

The standard for deciding on care for someone lacking capacity, weighing benefits and harms and, where possible, the person's known wishes.

Working through a trained interpreter, rather than a family member, when language differs, to ensure accurate history and valid consent.