Page 20 - Binder - English for Doctors

19

6. Do you suffer from shortness of breath?
Have you had wheezing?

Tips about asking questions

1. Use open rather than closed questions to draw the patient out. For example, ask
questions such as "Tell me about the pain you feel." or "What helps to relieve the
pain?"

2. Use language that is appropriate to the patient’s level of understanding and
background. Use clear and non-clinical language to explain a condition and to
discuss treatment. Use illustrations or examples to promote understanding. Check
that the patient understands what you have said.

D. Exercises

1. Listen and match the word and its definition. Write the letter
which has the same meaning in the space provided.

a. aorta b. duodenum c. ganglion d. osteoblast e. larynx f. tendon
_____ _____ ______ ______ ______ _____

2. Listen to the following suspected problems and choose a
suitable question. Write your answer in the space provided.
Then practice with your partner.

For example, asthma – Do you ever get wheezy?
a. prostate b. cancer of the lung c. insomnia

______ ______ ______

3. Practice these expressions from a case history. Look at the
following case and then use the questions studied in this
lesson to ask about the systems and the specific problems of
this patient.

The patient is a 26-year-old housewife, who complains of frequent stomachaches after
meals. She has noticed some weight gain recently and also complains that her breast is
increasingly painful off and on. She moves less easily than she used to. Sometimes she
feels depressed and cannot control her own feelings.