RTC
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Return to clinic |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical, Government & Politics |
RTC has two meanings. It stands for Return to clinic (medical documentation) or Road traffic collision (police).
Meanings of RTC at a glance
| # | RTC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Return to clinic | Medical › Medical Documentation |
| 2 | Road traffic collision | Government & Politics › Police |
1. Return to clinic
Medical · Medical Documentation Abbreviations
Instruction for when the patient should come back, as in "RTC 3 months" or "RTC PRN". It closes outpatient notes and drives scheduling.
Example: RTC in 6 weeks with fasting lipid panel and A1c.
Also written "return to care". Clinics often add warning symptoms that should prompt an earlier return or emergency visit. Some notes use RTO (return to office) or RTW (return to work), which has its own forms in occupational medicine.
2. Road traffic collision
Government & Politics · Police Abbreviations
British and Irish police term for a traffic crash, replacing the older "RTA" (road traffic accident). Police and emergency services use RTC in incident logs and press releases.
Example: The road is closed in both directions following a serious RTC involving a lorry and two cars.
The change in wording reflects the same reasoning as in the US: many crashes are caused by preventable human error. RTA still appears in older documents and insurance contexts. Fatal collisions are investigated by specialist roads policing or collision investigation units.
Related abbreviations
More medical documentation abbreviations
- PWID – People who inject drugs
- Px – Prognosis
- R/O – Rule out
- ROS – Review of systems
- SBAR – Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation
- SH – Social history
- SOAP – Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan
- SOAPIE – Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan, Intervention, Evaluation
See all 79 medical documentation abbreviations →
More police abbreviations
- POI – Person of interest
- POST – Peace Officer Standards and Training
- RMS – Records management system
- ROR – Released on own recognizance
- SFST – Standardized field sobriety tests
- SIO – Senior investigating officer
- SO – Sheriff's office
- SRO – School resource officer
See all 84 police abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.