True/False/Can't Tell — Medical & Health Passages

This practice set uses passages about medicine, healthcare, public health, and clinical research. Medical passages are particularly treacherous for UCAT candidates because many have strong science backgrounds and are tempted to use their own medical knowledge instead of relying on the passage.

---

Quick-Reference Strategy

1. Read the statement first. Note any claims about treatment effectiveness, patient groups, or study findings.
2. Scan for keywords. Find the relevant section quickly — medical passages tend to be information-dense.
3. Compare rigorously. Does the passage actually say what the statement claims?
4. Suppress your medical knowledge. Even if you know the passage contains an error, answer based on what the passage says.

---

Focus Notes for Medical & Health Passages

Watch for these features:

• Study design details — sample size, population, duration. The statement may generalise beyond these.
• Treatment outcomes — "reduced symptoms" is not the same as "cured." Match the language precisely.
• Risk factors vs causes — "associated with increased risk" does not mean "causes."
• Absolute vs relative measures — "50% reduction" could mean going from 2% to 1%, which is small in absolute terms.

Common Traps

Trap	Example
Medical knowledge override	You know a drug works, but the passage describes a study where it did not
Study scope	Passage describes one trial; statement claims the treatment is "proven"
Outcome misinterpretation	Passage says "improved quality of life"; statement says "cured the disease"
Population generalisation	Study was in elderly patients; statement claims it applies to all age groups

---

Approach Each Question

Read the passage excerpt and statement. Answer True, False, or Can't Tell based solely on the passage. Your medical or scientific knowledge is irrelevant for these questions.