Medical history
The medical history of a patient (sometimes called anamnesis) is information gained by a physician by asking specific questions, either of the patient or of other people who know the person and can give suitable information (in this case, it is sometimes called heteroanamnesis). This kind of information is called the symptoms, in contrast with clinical signs, which are ascertained by direct examination.
The questions the physician should ask are about:
- The name, age, height, weight of the patient
- The "chief complaint" — the major health problem or concern
- Systematic questioning about different organ systems
- Family diseases
- Childhood diseases
- Previous diseases and/or injuries
- Social status, occupation, addictions (smoking, drinking, drugs), allergies, sex life, and so on.
The information obtained in this way, together with clinical examination, enables the physician to form a diagnosis and treatment plan.
See also
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