What is the process called when you ask a patient for more information to clarify an unclear aspect of their story?

• A. Clarification
• B. Reflection
• C. Confrontation
• D. Reassurance

Answer: (B)

Clarification is the process of asking for more information to clear up something that is unclear in a patient’s story. When a patient describes symptoms or events in a way that’s ambiguous, you pose targeted questions like “When did it start?” or “How long did it last?” to get precise details you can act on. This helps ensure you have accurate facts for assessment and decision-making.

Reflection, on the other hand, is about restating or paraphrasing what the patient said to show you understand their meaning and to encourage them to elaborate, rather than to obtain new factual details. Confrontation would challenge inconsistencies and isn’t appropriate for routine data gathering, and reassurance is aimed at calming rather than clarifying information. So the best fit here is clarification because it directly seeks to remove ambiguity in the patient’s narrative.