OET Strategies, Speaking
Core Clinical Communication Phrases for OET Role-Plays
Feb
This section organises highly versatile phrases used throughout the consultation process, along with diagnosis and explanation phrases particularly relevant for doctor candidates.
These expressions reflect how clinicians naturally build rapport, gather information, explain medical reasoning, and guide management decisions.
Greeting and Relationship-Building
The opening phase establishes professional identity and patient trust. A clear introduction reduces uncertainty and helps patients understand who is responsible for their care.
Initial greetings
・“Good morning. I’m Dr. Tanaka, one of the doctors here.”
・“Hi, I’m the nurse looking after you today.”
These phrases provide role clarity and professional presence, helping the patient feel oriented in the clinical environment.
Recognising emotional context is equally important. Patients may already feel anxious, and acknowledging this helps create emotional safety and openness.
Checking the situation and showing empathy
・“I understand this might be a bit stressful for you.”
・“It’s completely normal to feel anxious in this situation.”
Providing reassurance reinforces clinical responsibility and ongoing support.
Providing reassurance
・“You’re in safe hands — we’ll take care of everything.”
・“We’ll do our best to make you feel comfortable.”
History Taking and Situation Checking
Once rapport is established, the focus shifts to structured information gathering. Understanding symptom onset helps determine clinical timeline and progression.
Confirming onset
・“When did you first notice this problem?”
・“How long have you been feeling this way?”
Clarifying symptom changes helps assess worsening, stability, or improvement.
Checking symptom changes
・“Has it been getting worse over time?”
・“Is the pain getting any better or worse?”
Understanding functional impact connects symptoms to daily life and overall wellbeing.
Impact on daily life
・“Is this affecting your daily activities at all?”
・“Has it made things like sleeping or eating more difficult?”
Medication history is essential for safe management and identifying current or prior treatment effects.
Asking about medication use
・“Are you currently taking any medication?”
・“Have you taken anything for this so far?”
Explanation and Diagnostic Discussion
After gathering information, clinicians begin sharing clinical interpretation and diagnostic reasoning. These explanations help patients understand the connection between symptoms and possible causes.
Explaining possible causes
・“Based on what you’ve told me, it may be…”
・“Your symptoms are consistent with…”
Medical terminology should be translated into clear patient-friendly language to ensure understanding.
Paraphrasing medical terminology
・“It’s called gastritis — that means inflammation of the stomach lining.”
・“That’s known as hypertension, or high blood pressure.”
Treatment explanations provide clarity about planned intervention and expected outcomes.
Explaining treatment plans
・“We’re going to start you on a course of antibiotics.”
・“We’ll begin with a mild pain reliever to ease your symptoms.”
Patients should also understand possible side effects to support safe and informed use of medication.
Advising on side effects
・“You might feel drowsy, so please avoid driving after taking it.”
・“It may cause a little nausea at first, but it should settle down.”
Making Suggestions and Exploring Options
Management discussions often involve collaborative decision-making rather than direct instruction. Suggestions introduce possible approaches while maintaining patient involvement.
Making suggestions
・“I’d like to suggest trying…”
・“One option could be to…”
Presenting multiple options supports informed and balanced decision-making.
Presenting options
・“There are a couple of options we can consider.”
・“Let me walk you through a few possible treatments.”
Encouraging patient participation reinforces respect for patient autonomy and preferences.
Encouraging patient choice
・“Which of these would you feel more comfortable with?”
・“Does one of these sound better for you?”
Checking the Patient’s Understanding
Confirming understanding ensures shared clarity and patient confidence in the management plan.
Confirming understanding
・“Does that make sense to you?”
・“Are you okay with everything so far?”
Offering clarification demonstrates willingness to support patient comprehension.
Offering repetition or clarification
・“Would you like me to go over that again?”
・“Should I explain that another way?”
Summarising reinforces agreed plan and next steps.
Closing with a summary
・“So just to summarise, we’ve agreed that…”
・“Let me quickly recap what we’ve discussed.”
Closing the Role-Play
The closing phase ensures patients feel supported and informed about what happens next. This maintains continuity of care and professional closure.
Closing the interaction
・“Is there anything else you’d like to ask before we finish?”
・“Do you have any other concerns today?”
Ending with encouragement reinforces ongoing clinical support and reassurance.
Expressing thanks and encouragement
・“Thank you for your time. I hope you feel better soon.”
・“Take care, and let us know if anything changes.”
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