Patient history
Patient history
Patient history (pronunciation: /ˈpeɪʃənt ˈhɪstəri/), also known as medical history or anamnesis (from Greek: ἀνάμνησις, "reminiscence"), is a detailed account of a patient's past and present medical conditions and treatments. It is a crucial part of the medical examination and helps healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat diseases.
Etymology
The term "patient history" is derived from the Latin word "patiens", meaning "one who suffers", and the Greek word "historia", meaning "inquiry" or "knowledge acquired by investigation". The term "anamnesis" is derived from the Greek word "anamnēsis", meaning "reminiscence" or "recollection".
Components
Patient history typically includes the following components:
- Chief complaint: The main symptom or health issue that led the patient to seek medical help.
- History of present illness: A detailed description of the patient's current illness, including its onset, duration, intensity, and associated symptoms.
- Past medical history: Information about the patient's previous illnesses, surgeries, allergies, and medications.
- Family history: Information about the health of the patient's close relatives, which can help identify genetic or familial diseases.
- Social history: Information about the patient's lifestyle, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, exercise, and occupation, which can affect the patient's health.
- Review of systems: A systematic inquiry about different organ systems to identify symptoms that the patient may have overlooked.
Importance
Patient history is essential for several reasons:
- It provides valuable information that can help healthcare professionals to diagnose diseases.
- It helps to identify risk factors for diseases.
- It guides the selection of appropriate tests and treatments.
- It helps to establish a rapport between the patient and the healthcare professional.
See also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Patient history
- Wikipedia's article - Patient history
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