The words to use
- Thinking pause
- A deliberate two-second silence after a hard question, held with a still face and steady gaze, so the examiner reads judgement rather than a blank.
- Filled pause
- A sound such as "um" or "uh" that signals a pause is coming. A few are normal; clusters at the start of an answer sound like stalling.
- Stop signal
- A gesture agreed before treatment, such as a raised left hand, that means "stop now". It only builds trust if you honour it the first time.
- Teach-back
- Asking the patient to say in their own words what will happen. It checks understanding more reliably than "Does that make sense?", which invites a polite yes.
