Medicina: una persona abrumada por un diagnóstico de diabetes
Publicado 2026-10-02
Antes de añadir más explicaciones, pregunta qué es lo que más preocupa a la persona que acaba de recibir un diagnóstico. Utiliza la tarjeta y las indicaciones del interlocutor en inglés. El ejemplo se centra en escuchar antes de dar más información.
Prepárate tres minutos y habla durante cinco. Este es un ejercicio original, no una tarjeta oficial de OET ni consejo médico.
Medicine · 3 minutes preparation · 5 minutes speaking
Candidate card
You are a doctor in a general practice clinic.
Your patient has recently been told they have type 2 diabetes. The care team has already discussed an initial management plan and next appointment, but the patient has asked to speak again because they feel overwhelmed.
- Ask what the patient understood from the first conversation
- Explore the concern behind their question before explaining the plan
- Respond respectfully to any self-blame without assigning fault
- Explain the purpose of the agreed next steps in everyday language without inventing treatment details
- Check what the patient wants clarified before the next appointment
Study partner brief and patient questions
You are the patient returning to discuss a new diagnosis.
- You are worried that the diagnosis means you did something wrong
- Several people have given you information, and you cannot remember what to focus on first
- Start with a short question; reveal the self-blame only if the doctor makes room for it
- Become more engaged if the doctor explains one point at a time and checks your understanding
- You want to leave knowing which question to ask at your next appointment
Patient questions for solo practice
- Did I cause this myself?
- Everyone has told me something different. What should I focus on first?
- What should I ask when I come back for the next appointment?
Practicar esta situación con temporizador
A teaching example: make room for the patient
Illustrative response: “You have diabetes. You need to make changes and follow the plan.”
A more useful response: “It sounds as if this news has been a lot to take in. What is worrying you most right now? We can go through the plan one part at a time and make sure you know what to ask at your next appointment.”
The first version moves straight to instructions and misses the patient's possible self-blame. The second asks, listens and offers a manageable next step. It is an example written for this site, not a learner's answer, Alexandra's quotation or a scored response.
Listen to your own attempt
- Did you let the patient tell you what the diagnosis means to them?
- Did you explain one point at a time in ordinary language?
- Did you check which question remains for the next visit?