Advanced history taking
English C1 Medical pack: OSCE, clinical communication, safety-netting and documentation practice
Theory
Theory 1: Clinical English goal
The task trains safe, clear, patient-centered clinical communication.
- Open and signpost.
- Use plain English with patients.
- Use structured medical terms in handover.
Theory 2: OSCE structure
A strong OSCE answer follows a repeatable structure.
- ICE: ideas, concerns, expectations.
- Red flags and safety-netting.
- Shared decision and closing check.
Theory 3: Common risk
Candidates often sound either too casual or too technical.
- Avoid jargon with patients.
- Do not skip consent or capacity.
- End with clear next steps.
Vocabulary and model dialogue
Doctor: I would like to ask a few questions to understand what has been happening.
Patient: I have had chest pain since yesterday.
Doctor: Can you describe the pain and whether it spreads anywhere?
Patient: It sometimes spreads to my left arm.
Practice
Practice 1: Controlled phrases
Write 8 patient-friendly phrases for risk, consent and next steps.
Output: 8 short sentences.Practice 2: Role-play
Run a 2-minute consultation with opening, main question, summary and plan.
Output: Dialogue script or recording.Practice 3: Handover
Convert the consultation to SBAR.
Output: Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation.Practice 4: Reflection
List 3 phrases that sounded too technical and simplify them.
Output: Before/after table.Interactive tasks
Interactive 1: OSCE order
Order the consultation: opening, ICE, red flags, summary, plan, safety-net.
Interactive 2: Plain English rewrite
Rewrite 5 clinical terms in patient-friendly English.
Interactive 3: SBAR checkpoint
Write one SBAR handover from the case.
Quiz
A safe consultation starts with structure and consent.
ICE explores the patient's perspective.
Patient language should be clear and direct.
SBAR is the standard handover structure.
Safety-netting tells the patient what changes require urgent help.