Term	Definition	Example
Symptom	A sign or sensation experienced and reported by a patient that may indicate a health condition	"The doctor asked Mr. Davies to describe his symptoms in as much detail as possible."
Pain scale	A standardised tool — typically 0 to 10 — used to rate the intensity of a patient's pain	"Dr. Bennett asked where his pain was on the scale of zero to ten."
Onset	The point at which a symptom or condition first appeared or began	"Dr. Bennett asked about the onset of the visual disturbances — when they first appeared."
Chronic	Describes a symptom or condition that has persisted over a long period of time	"Mr. Davies had been experiencing chronic tension headaches — present for months, not days."
Acute	Describes a symptom or condition of sudden, intense onset — the opposite of chronic	"The visual disturbances were a new, acute symptom — something that had not been there before."
Diagnosis	A doctor's identification of a disease or condition based on symptoms, history, and examination	"Dr. Bennett gave a provisional diagnosis of chronic tension-type headache."
Blood panel	A set of blood tests ordered to assess a patient's general health or investigate a specific concern	"Dr. Bennett ordered a blood panel to rule out any underlying conditions."
Referral	A GP's decision to send a patient to a specialist and formally request that appointment	"Dr. Bennett issued a referral to a neurologist for further assessment."
Prescription	Written or electronic authorisation from a clinician to dispense medication	"Dr. Bennett extended the prescription for another six weeks."
Provisional diagnosis	A working diagnosis made on available evidence, subject to change once further investigation results are known	"The provisional diagnosis was chronic tension-type headache, pending further investigation."

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