The Recorded Consultation Assessment (RCA) represents a significant change for a generation of doctors used to taking practical exams featuring actors. The RCA exam is based on recordings of your telephone and video consultations with genuine patients, but of course patients don't present or respond quite like actors do! This full-colour book provides a practical guide to help nervous candidates, and particularly International Medical Graduates (IMGs), prepare effectively, with useful advice on: Common pitfalls Working with your practice team to identify the patients you need Obtaining consent Differentiating between low and high challenge cases, and which topics to avoid Setting up the technology for telephone, video and face-to-face consultations How to perform well in each of the core domains In addition, the book takes you through all aspects of using the FourteenFish platform to record, assess and submit your consultations, with screenshots used to illustrate every step. If you need help to prepare from someone who passed the exam as part of the first cohort, who has run RCA exam preparation courses, and who has checked what is required with trainers and programme directors, then you need this book! Really packed with practical and clinical tips Covers everything you need to know before submitting A stress-free way to prepare for the exam
Acknowledgements; Preface; About the authors PART I: Introduction to the Recorded Consultation Assessment (RCA) 1 Introduction 2 What is the RCA? 2.1 Policies 2.2 Marking 2.3 New changes 2.4 Breaches 3 The differences between the RCA, the CSA and real-life consultations 3.1 The linear path of a consultation 3.2 Technology 3.3 Pre-consultation 3.4 Your communication style 3.5 The third wheel 3.6 Multiple problems leading to multiple paths 3.7 Information-gathering routes 3.8 That golden minute 3.9 Time difference 4 Common pitfalls 4.1 Feedback by domain 4.2 Global feedback 4.3 Data gathering, technical and assessment skills 4.4 Interpersonal skills 4.5 Clinical management 4.6 Your pitfalls 5 Which cases to submit? (contributing author: Pernia Javid) 5.1 Is it appropriate? 5.2 Telephone, face-to-face or video? 5.3 Domains 5.4 Clinical topics 5.5 Appropriate challenge cases 5.6 The workbook 5.7 Your logbook 6 Preparing for and booking the RCA 6.1 Identifying your weaknesses 6.2 When to sit the exam? 6.3 Teamwork 6.4 The triage system 6.5 Recording 6.6 A preparatory checklist 6.7 Booking the RCA 6.8 Using the FourteenFish system 6.9 Planning how to get ready for the RCA checklist PART II: How to record for the RCA 7 Consent (contributing author: Abraham Thomas) 7.1 How can you obtain consent? 7.2 How FourteenFish records consent 7.3 Showing consent for a recording made outside of FourteenFish 7.4 How will the recordings be stored? 8 How to set up the technology 8.1 Signal and internet 8.2 What you need to know before recording 8.3 What you need for a telephone consultation 8.4 What you need for a video consultation 8.5 What you need for a face-to-face video consultation 8.6 Uploading from outside the FourteenFish platform 8.7 Deleting the file 8.8 How to record checklist PART III: The consultation 9 Pre-consultation (contributing author: Rakin Anwar) 9.1 Everyday routine 9.2 Images 9.3 Patient research 10 Interpersonal skills (contributing author: Rohan Lakhani) 10.1 How do you act? 10.2 Covid-specific communication challenges 11 Data gathering (contributing author: Rakin Anwar) 11.1 Introduction for a telephone/video consultation 11.2 Introduction for a face-to-face recording 11.3 Structured history 11.4 Special circumstances 11.5 General examination 11.6 Examination when remote consulting 12 Clinical management (contributing author: Rakin Anwar) 12.1 How to explain the management plan 12.2 Making it patient-centred 12.3 Logistics 12.4 Prescribing 12.5 Health promotion 12.6 Safety-netting 12.7 Consenting again PART IV: The final steps to submit for the RCA 13 The workbook 13.1 Workbook examples 13.2 Mandatory criteria 14 The final steps to submit through FourteenFish (contributing author: Abraham Thomas) 14.1 Verification of cases by your trainer 14.2 Checking the final 13 cases 14.3 The final submission
