definitions

Question 1

Biopsy

Answer 1

A small sample of body tissue safely removed for microscopic analysis.

Question 2

Bleep

Answer 2

An electronic pager normally carried by hospital staff. This allows anyone in the hospital to be contacted quickly by any member of staff.

Question 3

Capacity

Answer 3

The ability of a patient to make decisions about their healthcare. A patient may have the capacity to make one decision but not have the capacity to make another. Capacity is formally assessed on admission to hospital.

Question 4

Chronic Disease

Answer 4

A disease that is not normally curable and so is instead managed over a patient’s life. Common chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Question 5

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Answer 5

A chronic progressive lung disease, almost exclusively the result of a long-term history of smoking cigarettes (with exceptions).

Question 6

Closed Question

Answer 6

A question asked by a doctor that normally has a very limited number of responses. An example would be ‘is the pain worse on movement?’. Closed questions are normally used when focusing on the details of a clinical problem.

Question 7

Comorbidities

Answer 7

Diseases that are occurring simultaneously in a patient, that are often chronic but not necessarily related. Elderly patients are more likely to have multiple comorbidities.

Question 8

Consultant

Answer 8

senior doctor whom has completed the training pathway for their chosen specialty.

Question 9

Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitation (DNAR)

Answer 9

A legal document signed by both doctor and patient stating that in the event of a medical emergency (namingly a cardiac arrest) no attempts at resuscitation are made, with the aim to prevent further suffering to the patient.

Question 10

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

Answer 10

A recorded pattern of the electrical activity of the heart, which can be used to identify problems with it, such as heart attacks or arrhythmias

Question 11

Foundation Training

Answer 11

The first compulsory training pathway for all newly qualified doctors. It is organised over two years and comprising of three 4-month rotations per year in different specialties. An optional third foundation year is also now available to trainees.

Question 12

General Medical Council(GMC)

Answer 12

The UK regulatory body for doctors and publisher of guidelines outlining recommended medical practice with the aim to protect patients and optimise patient care. All doctors must have GMC registration to lawfully practice medicine in the UK.

Question 13

GP (general practitioner)

Answer 13

A community-based generalist doctor, normally the first point of call for diagnosis and treatment of mild to moderate illness. GPs have historically been called ‘family doctors’.

Question 14

History (of presenting a complaint)

Answer 14

The patient’s account of their presenting problem. The history is normally the patient’s own description of their problem but is guided by the clerking doctor with a mixture of open and closed questions.

Question 15

Holistic

Answer 15

The concept of treating the ‘whole’ patient. It describes not just managing and treating in terms of their disease, but also the wider impact of the disease on their physical, mental and social well-being, and recognising the patients’ own expectations and priorities for healthcare.

Question 16

Hospice

Answer 16

A type of tertiary care specialist facility that focuses on caring for patients with chronic, often terminal, conditions where the focus is on managing symptoms rather than cure. Some patients are inpatients based on a hospice ward, while others only visit during the day for specialist treatments that cannot be carried out by primary care services.

Question 17

Mammogram

Answer 17

a radiographical image of the breast tissue

Question 18

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)

Answer 18

A team of healthcare professionals with a variety of different roles and inputs in the care of the same group of patients. Multidisciplinary management of patients allows specialist input on all aspects of patient care.

Question 19

National Health Service (NHS)

Answer 19

The government-funded public health service in the UK. Founded in 1948 by Aneurin Bevan, the NHS was formed on the premise that it would meet the health needs of anyone, would be free at the point of entry, and based on clinical need rather than the ability to pay.

Question 20

Open Question

Answer 20

A question asked by a doctor that allows a patient to openly describe their presenting problem in their own words, with a near-infinite number of possible responses. An example would be ‘can you tell me what has brought you in today?’ Open questions are normally used at the start of a consultation to get the nature of a clinical problem.

Question 21

Outpatients

Answer 21

Specialist-run clinics for the management of patients with needs that cannot be managed in primary care. These patients normally require more specialist assessments, investigations, and treatments. These clinics are run by doctors, specialist nurses, and other HCPs. Patients must be referred by another doctor (e.g. GP or hospital doctor) to access outpatient services.

Question 22

Palliative Care

Answer 22

A speciality dedicated to providing end of life care

Question 23

Prevalence

Answer 23

The number of cases in the population (normally represented as a percentage or fraction).

Question 24

Primary Care

Answer 24

Community-based care for patients making their first approach to health services regarding a health problem. Examples of primary care services include GP surgeries and drop-in clinics (e.g. sexual health).

Question 25

Rapport

Answer 25

The relationship a doctor develops with their patient during a consultation. A good rapport is a doctor developing an understanding and appreciation of a patient’s health concerns and priorities and in response the patient putting their trust in the doctor. This has many positive sequelae, such as increased adherence to treatment.

Question 26

Reflection

Answer 26

The process of analysing a past experience to learn more about yourself, and to apply this knowledge to your future behaviours.

• wider lessons learned
• how would you approach situation different

Question 27

Registrar

Answer 27

A doctor that is training to become a consultant in their field.

Question 28

Secondary Care

Answer 28

The provision of higher-level care in a centre with multiple specialist staff and resources, such as a hospital. Secondary care services cannot normally be accessed without a referral from primary care or via emergency admission.

Question 29

Sign

Answer 29

A clinical abnormality that a doctor recognises in the physical examination of a patient (but that the patient may not notice).

Question 30

Symptom

Answer 30

An abnormality in a patient’s health that the patient describes (e.g. pain).

Question 31

Tertiary Care

Answer 31

Very high-level care provided at a specialist centre often focusing on only one discipline, such as a hospice or a neurorehabilitation centre.

Question 32

Ward Round

Answer 32

Review of each patient on a ward being cared for by a clinical team in a specialist care setting. Each patient is seen and reviewed for aspects such as current and new diagnoses, investigations, treatments, and discharge planning. This sets the ‘jobs’ to be done for each patient for the rest of the day. The round is normally led by a consultant and is multidisciplinary.