Definitions Flashcards
Biopsy
A small sample of body tissue safely removed for microscopic analysis
Bleep
An electronic pager normally carried by hospital staff. This allows anyone in the hospital to be contacted quickly by any member of staff.
Capacity
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.
Chronic disease
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.
COPD
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
A chronic progressive lung disease, almost exclusively the result of a long-term history of smoking cigarettes (with exceptions).
Consultant
A senior doctor whom has completed the training pathway for their chosen specialty.
Comorbidities
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
Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitation (DNAR)
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.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
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
General Medical Council (GMC)
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.
Foundation Training
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
General Practitioner
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’.
History (of Presenting Complaint)
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.
Holistic
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.
Hospice
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.
