Empathy statements

Also known as: Empathic statements

Brief, genuine acknowledgements of a patient’s emotion ("That sounds really frightening"). They show you have understood how the patient feels, not just what they said.

A well-timed empathy statement after a cue or a piece of bad news earns interpersonal marks and settles the patient. Generic reassurance ("Don’t worry") does the opposite.

More glossary terms

ABCDE approachA systematic method for assessing and treating an acutely unwell patient — Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure — dealing with each before moving on.
AMPLE historyA focused emergency history — Allergies, Medications, Past history, Last meal, Events — taken quickly in acute situations.
ARCPThe annual assessment that decides whether a doctor in training has met the competencies to progress to the next stage.
AVPU scaleA rapid way to grade consciousness — Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain, Unresponsive — used in initial assessment.

Put it into practice

Rehearse PLAB 2 stations with AI simulated patients and get structured feedback after every consultation.

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