OET Rx (Student Pre-Class)

Lesson 9: Handling Telephone Enquiries

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Course Progress

Overall Progress Lesson 9 of 100

Part 1: Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Use professional etiquette for answering and conducting medical phone calls.
Verify patient identity to maintain confidentiality.
Triage telephone enquiries to determine urgency.
Provide safe, cautious advice over the phone and accurately document the call.

Lesson Video

Coming Soon

This video will be available for the offline course version.

Part 2: Vocabulary & Examples

Study the words, their pronunciations, Persian translations, and example sentences to understand how they are used in context.

General Vocabulary

direct (v.) /dɪˈrekt/:

هدایت کردن

Please direct your query to the reception desk, as they handle all appointment scheduling.

direction /dɪˈrekʃn/:

دستور، جهت

My direction to the patient was clear: if the symptoms worsen, go directly to the emergency department.

directly /dɪˈrektli/:

مستقیماً

I will call the patient directly as soon as the test results are available on my desk.

disadvantage /ˌdɪsədˈvɑːntɪdʒ/:

معایب

The main disadvantage of a telephone consultation is the inability to perform a physical examination.

disagree /ˌdɪsəˈɡriː/:

مخالفت کردن

If you disagree with the proposed plan, it's important that we discuss your concerns openly.

disappear /ˌdɪsəˈpɪər/:

غیبش زدن، ناپدید شدن

You should call back if the symptoms do not disappear within 48 hours.

disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/:

ناامید

I understand you are disappointed that I cannot issue a repeat prescription without seeing you first.

discover /dɪˈskʌvər/:

کشف کردن

We might discover the cause of your symptoms through this phone call, but a face-to-face visit is still necessary.

confer /kənˈfɜːr/:

مشورت کردن

I need to confer with the specialist before I can give you a definitive answer over the phone.

discussion /dɪˈskʌʃn/:

بحث

Following our discussion, I will document the advice given in your medical record.

disease /dɪˈziːz/:

بیماری

We cannot diagnose a disease over the phone, but we can assess your symptoms to decide on the next steps.

log (v.) /lɒɡ/:

ثبت کردن

After our call, I will log the advice given in your medical notes.

double (v.) /ˈdʌbl/:

دو برابر کردن

You must not double the dose if you miss one; just take the next dose as scheduled.

doubt (n.) /daʊt/:

شک

If you have any doubt about how to take the medication, please call us immediately.

draft (v.) /drɑːft/:

پیش‌نویس کردن

I will draft a referral letter based on our phone conversation and send it to the specialist.

drop (v.) /drɒp/:

افتادن، کاهش یافتن

If you notice a sudden drop in your blood pressure after taking this pill, you should contact us.

Medical Vocabulary

Callback (n.) /ˈkɔːlbæk/:

تماس مجدد

The receptionist took a message and assured the patient that a doctor would make a callback before the end of the day.

Confidentiality /ˌkɒnfɪˌdenʃiˈæləti/:

محرمانگی

To maintain confidentiality, we must verify your identity before discussing any clinical information over the phone.

Message (n.) /ˈmesɪdʒ/:

پیام

I have a message here from a patient with a query about their prescription renewal.

Non-urgent /nɒn ˈɜːrdʒənt/:

غیرفوری

A request for a routine appointment is a non-urgent matter that can be handled by the reception team.

Patient Verification /ˈpeɪʃnt ˌverɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/:

تأیید هویت بیمار

Patient verification, which involves asking for a full name and date of birth, is the first step in any clinical phone call.

Prescription Renewal /prɪˈskrɪpʃn rɪˈnjuːəl/:

تمدید نسخه

We have a specific telephone line for routine prescription renewal requests.

Query (n.) /ˈkwɪəri/:

پرس‌وجو

I'm returning your call regarding a query you had about potential side effects.

Telephone Triage /ˈtelɪfoʊn ˈtriːɑːʒ/:

تریاژ تلفنی

Based on our telephone triage, I advise you to come to the clinic today rather than waiting for an appointment.

Urgent /ˈɜːrdʒənt/:

فوری

Symptoms like chest pain or difficulty breathing are considered urgent and require an immediate emergency call.

Voicemail (n.) /ˈvɔɪsmeɪl/:

پیام صوتی

The patient left a detailed voicemail, so I have a good understanding of her query before I make the callback.

Part 3: Pre-Class Practice Tests

Reading Task (Interdisciplinary Context: Veterinary Medicine):

Clinic Policy: Handling After-Hours Telephone Enquiries

All after-hours telephone enquiries must be treated as potentially urgent until proven otherwise. The primary goal of the on-call veterinarian is to conduct a swift but thorough telephone triage. The first step is to collect essential data: owner's name, pet's species and age, and a description of the chief complaint. The key disadvantage of this remote assessment is the lack of physical examination. Therefore, definitive diagnoses should be avoided. The veterinarian's direction to the owner must be clear and direct. Based on the discussion, the call should be categorized as: 1) Non-urgent (advice can be given, follow up with regular vet), or 2) Urgent (owner advised to come to the emergency clinic immediately). Every telephone consultation must be documented, and a summary emailed to the pet's regular veterinarian for continuity of care.

Question: According to the policy, what is the main limitation the veterinarian faces during an after-hours phone call?

Listening Task (Part A Simulation):

Scenario: You will hear a patient calling their GP clinic to ask about a new prescription.

0:00

Task: Complete the message form below. Write one or two words for each gap.

Telephone Message Form

Caller's Name: (1)

Reason for call: Query about new (2)

Message Details: Patient experiencing (3) . Asks for a callback from the doctor.

Urgency: (4)

Contact Number: (5)

Part 4: Answer Key for Pre-Class Work

Reading Answer: b) The inability to physically assess the animal.

Listening Answers: (1) Sarah Walker, (2) blood pressure medication, (3) mild dizziness, (4) Non-urgent, (5) 07700 900123

Part 5: In-Class Preparation

Be prepared to discuss the vocabulary and practice the following tasks in class.

Speaking Task: OET Role-Play Card (Medicine)

Setting: You are a GP on the phone.
Patient: The mother of a 6-year-old child calls. The child has had a fever of 39.5°C for the past 12 hours and has just developed a non-blanching rash (a rash that doesn't fade under pressure) on their chest. The mother sounds very anxious.
Task: Quickly identify the caller and the patient. Take a very brief but focused history of the symptoms. Recognize the situation as urgent. Give clear, direct instructions to the mother (e.g., "You need to take him to the nearest hospital emergency department immediately."). Provide brief reassurance that she is doing the right thing.

Writing Task:

You are the GP from the speaking scenario. Immediately after the phone call, you must write a concise entry in the patient's record. Document the caller's name, the patient's symptoms (fever, non-blanching rash), your assessment of urgency, and the exact advice you gave.

Proceed to Lesson 10

OET Rx

In this lesson, you will be able to: