Palestinian Board Part II key terms

The proportion of people who truly have a condition and are correctly identified as positive by a test. It reflects how well a test detects disease when disease is present.

The proportion of people without a condition who are correctly identified as negative by a test. It reflects how well a test rules out disease in healthy people.

The probability that a person with a positive test result actually has the condition. It depends on disease prevalence as well as on test sensitivity and specificity.

The probability that a person with a negative test result truly does not have the condition. Like positive predictive value, it shifts with the prevalence of disease in the tested population.

A ratio comparing the probability of a given test result in people with disease to that in people without disease. Values far from one meaningfully change post-test probability.

The estimated chance that a patient has a condition before a diagnostic test is performed, based on history, examination, and local prevalence. It anchors interpretation of test results.

The number of patients who must receive an intervention for one additional patient to benefit. It is the reciprocal of the absolute risk reduction and expresses clinical effort required.

The arithmetic difference in event rates between a control group and a treated group. It shows the true magnitude of benefit, unlike relative measures that can exaggerate small effects.

The ratio of the risk of an outcome in an exposed or treated group to the risk in an unexposed group. It indicates strength of association but not the size of absolute benefit.

The ratio of the odds of exposure among cases to the odds of exposure among controls, or of outcome odds between groups. It approximates relative risk when the outcome is rare.

A range of values, calculated from sample data, that is likely to contain the true population parameter. Its width reflects precision and the influence of sample size.

The probability of observing a result at least as extreme as the one found if the null hypothesis were true. It is not the probability that the null hypothesis is correct.

A study in which participants are allocated by chance to intervention or control groups. Randomization balances known and unknown confounders and supports causal inference about treatment effects.

An analysis that includes all randomized participants in the groups to which they were assigned, regardless of adherence. It preserves randomization and gives a realistic estimate of effectiveness.

Distortion of an exposure-outcome relationship by a third variable that is associated with both and is not on the causal pathway. It can create or hide true associations.

Systematic error arising when the groups compared differ in ways related to the outcome because of how participants were chosen or retained. It threatens the validity of study conclusions.

A structured synthesis of all relevant studies addressing a focused question, using explicit search and appraisal methods. It reduces bias and increases precision compared with single studies.

A framework for rating the certainty of evidence and strength of recommendations across outcomes. It considers risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication bias.

Systematically developed statements that assist practitioners and patients in decisions about appropriate health care for specific circumstances. Their trustworthiness depends on evidence review and transparent methods.

A patient's voluntary agreement to a procedure or treatment after receiving adequate information about benefits, risks, alternatives, and consequences of refusal. It requires capacity and freedom from coercion.

A patient's ability to understand relevant information, appreciate the situation and consequences, reason about options, and communicate a choice. It is assessed for a specific decision, not globally.

The standard used when a patient lacks capacity and a decision must be made on their behalf. It weighs likely benefits and burdens according to the patient's values and prior wishes.

A document in which a person records preferences for future care or appoints a substitute decision-maker, used if they later lose capacity. It guides treatment decisions and respects autonomy.

A documented clinical decision that cardiopulmonary resuscitation should not be attempted if the patient suffers cardiac arrest. It is made with the patient or substitute decision-maker and reviewed regularly.

The agreed aims of treatment for a patient, ranging from curative to comfort-focused, established through discussion with the patient and family. They guide escalation decisions and resource use.

The professional duty to protect patient information from unauthorized disclosure. It may be overridden only by law, serious public risk, or valid consent, and breaches must be justified and documented.

The professional obligation to be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong in their care, including apologizing and explaining what happened and what will be done.

A serious, largely preventable patient safety incident that should not occur if available safeguards are used, such as wrong-site surgery or retained instruments. Reporting and investigation are mandatory.

A structured method for investigating an adverse event to identify underlying system failures rather than blaming individuals. Findings should lead to changes that prevent recurrence.

A standardized verbal checklist used before induction, before incision, and before the patient leaves theatre to confirm identity, site, allergies, and equipment. It reduces avoidable surgical harm.

A brief pause immediately before a procedure during which the team confirms patient identity, procedure, site, and side aloud. It is a core defence against wrong-patient and wrong-site errors.

Cleaning hands with soap and water or alcohol-based rub at defined moments to interrupt transmission of microorganisms. It is the single most effective measure for preventing healthcare-associated infection.

Routine infection-control practices applied to all patients, including hand hygiene, gloves, gowns, eye protection, and safe sharps handling. They assume every body fluid may be infectious.

Additional precautions beyond standard practice, tailored to contact, droplet, or airborne spread of specific pathogens. They include isolation, masks, and dedicated equipment as appropriate.

An infection acquired by a patient during care in a health facility that was not present or incubating on admission. Surveillance and prevention are key quality indicators.

Coordinated efforts to use antimicrobials appropriately, choosing the right drug, dose, route, and duration. It improves outcomes, reduces resistance, and lowers cost and adverse effects.

Narrowing or stopping antimicrobial treatment once culture results and clinical course allow, moving from broad empiric cover to targeted therapy. It limits resistance and unnecessary exposure.

Treatment started before the causative organism or definitive diagnosis is confirmed, based on the likely pathogens and clinical severity. It is later reviewed and adjusted according to results.

The process of sorting patients by urgency of need so that limited resources are directed to those who will benefit most and deteriorate fastest. It is repeated as conditions change.

A structured sequence for assessing and treating critically ill patients: airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure. Life-threatening problems are corrected before moving to the next step.

A team and activation pathway that brings critical-care expertise to a deteriorating ward patient before cardiac arrest occurs. It relies on staff recognizing and escalating abnormal observations.

A numerical score derived from routine observations such as respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, and consciousness. Rising scores trigger escalation and review.

An event in which casualties outnumber immediately available resources, requiring altered triage priorities, command structures, and allocation decisions. Care is shifted toward greatest overall benefit.

The responsible and fair use of finite health resources, avoiding wasteful tests and treatments while meeting genuine clinical need. It balances individual benefit against population-level obligations.

A systematic evaluation of the clinical, economic, and social effects of a health technology to inform coverage and purchasing decisions. It links evidence to policy and budget impact.

A comparison of the costs and health outcomes of alternative interventions, often expressed as cost per quality-adjusted life year. It helps decision-makers compare value across competing uses of funds.

A measure combining length of life with health-related quality of life, where one year in perfect health equals one. It allows comparison of health gains across different conditions.

First-contact, person-centred, continuous care delivered close to where people live, including prevention, treatment, and referral. It is the foundation of efficient health systems.

An agreed route by which a patient moves from one level of care to another, with defined criteria, communication, and responsibilities. Clear pathways reduce delay and duplication.

The process of preparing a patient and their family for leaving hospital, including medication reconciliation, follow-up arrangements, and community support. Good planning reduces readmission.

A formal process of comparing a patient's current medicines with newly prescribed ones at transitions of care to identify discrepancies, omissions, and duplications. It prevents avoidable medication harm.

An injury resulting from a medication, whether from an error or an unavoidable reaction. Reporting and review help identify preventable causes and improve prescribing safety.

A collaborative conversation in which clinician and patient exchange evidence and values to reach a jointly agreed plan. It respects autonomy and improves adherence and satisfaction.

Communicating serious or unexpected information in a structured, empathetic way, often using a stepwise framework. It involves preparing, checking understanding, allowing silence, and planning next steps.

A prioritized list of possible conditions that could explain a patient's presentation, generated from history and examination before tests are chosen. It guides targeted investigation and safety-netting.

A clinical feature in the history or examination that suggests serious underlying disease and warrants urgent investigation or referral. Missing one can delay diagnosis of life-threatening conditions.

A quality-improvement cycle that compares current practice against an agreed standard, implements change, and re-measures. It differs from research because it evaluates local performance rather than producing new generalizable knowledge.