BATES GUIDE TO PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
AND HISTORY TAKING EXAM PREPARATION
PACK 2026 KEY CONCEPTS AND REVISION
NOTES
◉ Likelihood ratio (LR) for a positive test.
Answer: a HIGHER value (much greater than 1) indicates that a
positive test is much more likely to be coming from a diseased
person than from a non-diseased person, increasing our confidence
that a person with a positive result has the disease
◉ Likelihood Ratio (LR) for a negative test.
Answer: a LOWER value (much less than 1) indicates that the
negative test is much more likely to be coming from a non-diseased
person than from a diseased person, increasing our confidence that
a person with a negative result does NOT have the disease
◉ LRs 1-2 and 0.5-1.
Answer: Alter the probability (pre-test to post-test) to a small
degree that is very rarely important
◉ LRs > 10 or < 0.1.
Answer: Generate large changes
,◉ LRs > 1.
Answer: Associated with positive results and an increased
probability for disease
◉ LRs < 1.
Answer: Associated with negative results and a decreased
probability of disease
◉ LR equal to 1.
Answer: Provides no additional information about the probability of
disease
◉ SOAP Format for H&P.
Answer: S- Subjective [History]
O- Objective [Vital signs, Physical Exam, Lab Results]
A- Assessment [List of diagnoses]
P- Plan
◉ 7 attributes of a symptom.
Answer: 1. Location- where is it, does it radiate?
2. Quality- what does it feel like?
, 3. Quantity or Severity- how bad is it? (for pain, how bad is it on a
scale of 1 to 10?)
4. Timing: Onset, duration, & frequency- when did it start, how long
does it last, how often does it occur?
5. Setting in which it occurs- include environmental factors, personal
activities (walking), emotional reactions, and any other contributing
factors
6. Factors that aggravate or relief the symptom- what makes it
better? what makes it worse?
7. Associated manifestations
OLDCART
Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating/Alleviating
Factors, Radiating, Timing
or
OPQRST
Onset, Palliating/Provoking Factors, Quality, Radiation, Site, Timing
◉ Subjective Data.
Answer: What the patients tells you
AND HISTORY TAKING EXAM PREPARATION
PACK 2026 KEY CONCEPTS AND REVISION
NOTES
◉ Likelihood ratio (LR) for a positive test.
Answer: a HIGHER value (much greater than 1) indicates that a
positive test is much more likely to be coming from a diseased
person than from a non-diseased person, increasing our confidence
that a person with a positive result has the disease
◉ Likelihood Ratio (LR) for a negative test.
Answer: a LOWER value (much less than 1) indicates that the
negative test is much more likely to be coming from a non-diseased
person than from a diseased person, increasing our confidence that
a person with a negative result does NOT have the disease
◉ LRs 1-2 and 0.5-1.
Answer: Alter the probability (pre-test to post-test) to a small
degree that is very rarely important
◉ LRs > 10 or < 0.1.
Answer: Generate large changes
,◉ LRs > 1.
Answer: Associated with positive results and an increased
probability for disease
◉ LRs < 1.
Answer: Associated with negative results and a decreased
probability of disease
◉ LR equal to 1.
Answer: Provides no additional information about the probability of
disease
◉ SOAP Format for H&P.
Answer: S- Subjective [History]
O- Objective [Vital signs, Physical Exam, Lab Results]
A- Assessment [List of diagnoses]
P- Plan
◉ 7 attributes of a symptom.
Answer: 1. Location- where is it, does it radiate?
2. Quality- what does it feel like?
, 3. Quantity or Severity- how bad is it? (for pain, how bad is it on a
scale of 1 to 10?)
4. Timing: Onset, duration, & frequency- when did it start, how long
does it last, how often does it occur?
5. Setting in which it occurs- include environmental factors, personal
activities (walking), emotional reactions, and any other contributing
factors
6. Factors that aggravate or relief the symptom- what makes it
better? what makes it worse?
7. Associated manifestations
OLDCART
Onset, Location, Duration, Character, Aggravating/Alleviating
Factors, Radiating, Timing
or
OPQRST
Onset, Palliating/Provoking Factors, Quality, Radiation, Site, Timing
◉ Subjective Data.
Answer: What the patients tells you
