OSCE Communication Skills 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A colleague makes an error during a patient handover that you witnessed. What communication action is most appropriate?
- Correct the colleague in front of the patient to prevent harm
- Document the error and report it through the appropriate incident reporting system (Correct answer)
- Ignore the error to preserve the colleague's reputation
- Immediately call a supervisor without informing the colleague
Correct answer: Document the error and report it through the appropriate incident reporting system
Formal incident reporting is the professional and systemic response that promotes patient safety without undermining team dynamics.
Question 2: What is the most important reason for avoiding leading questions during a patient history?
- They are considered disrespectful in most cultures
- They can bias the patient's response and contaminate the clinical data (Correct answer)
- They take more time than open-ended questions
- They may confuse patients with low health literacy
Correct answer: They can bias the patient's response and contaminate the clinical data
Leading questions suggest an expected answer, which can alter what the patient reports and distort clinical findings.
Question 3: A patient states they do not want further resuscitation if their condition deteriorates. What is your immediate communication priority?
- Contact the next of kin to validate the decision
- Explore the patient's values and understanding before documenting any advance directive (Correct answer)
- Reassure the patient and proceed to complete a DNR order
- Consult ethics immediately as this is beyond your scope
Correct answer: Explore the patient's values and understanding before documenting any advance directive
Before documenting preferences, ensure the patient has decision-making capacity and understands the implications of their choice.
Question 4: You must deliver test results to a patient over the phone. What communication safeguard should you perform first?
- State the results clearly so the patient can prepare emotionally
- Verify the patient's identity and confirm they are in a private, safe location (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient to call back when they can have a family member present
- Send the results via secure patient portal instead
Correct answer: Verify the patient's identity and confirm they are in a private, safe location
Verifying identity and confirming privacy protects confidentiality and ensures the patient can respond safely to the information.
Question 5: Which communication approach is recommended when a patient holds health beliefs that differ significantly from biomedical evidence?
- Correct their beliefs directly using scientific evidence
- Explore their beliefs using the FIFE model (Feelings, Ideas, Function, Expectations) (Correct answer)
- Agree with the patient to maintain the therapeutic alliance
- Refer them to a specialist who can address alternative medicine
Correct answer: Explore their beliefs using the FIFE model (Feelings, Ideas, Function, Expectations)
The FIFE model helps clinicians understand the patient's perspective before offering alternative explanations, facilitating negotiated care.
Question 6: A terminally ill patient asks 'Am I going to die?' How should you respond?
- Provide statistical survival rates to give the patient accurate information
- Respond with an empathic question such as 'What makes you ask that today?' (Correct answer)
- Reassure the patient that medicine has many options
- Defer the question to the palliative care team
Correct answer: Respond with an empathic question such as 'What makes you ask that today?'
Responding with an empathic question explores the patient's fears and readiness, ensuring the response is tailored to their emotional state.
Question 7: In an OSCE handover station using the SBAR format, what does the 'R' stand for?
- Response
- Recommendation (Correct answer)
- Review
- Reason
Correct answer: Recommendation
In SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), 'R' stands for Recommendation—the action you are requesting from the receiver.
OSCE Communication Skills 5
A colleague makes an error during a patient handover that you witnessed.
What communication action is most appropriate?