Key Points

Please take a moment to review these points, reflect on their significance and consider how they apply to your own experiences.

Tick to confirm (optional):

• Prioritise the wellbeing and dignity of the vulnerable patient over completing the test.
• Pause, acknowledge emotions and use simple, age-appropriate explanations to reduce distress.
• Offer choices to increase a child's sense of control (delay, different test, parent reassurance).
• Use gentle redirection, calm tone and slower pacing for patients with dementia.
• Involve carers appropriately while addressing the patient directly to preserve trust.
• Reschedule or simplify assessments if distress or confusion persists rather than forcing completion.
• Document the emotional context, decisions made and follow-up arrangements in the record.