Medical history: A record of information about a patient’s past and current health. Includes information about the patient’s habits, lifestyle, and even the health of their family. Chief complaint: The patient’s description of what they feel is their main health problem. Physical signs: Pieces of evidence that indicate an illness that can be observed externally, such as a rash, coughing, or elevated temperature Symptoms: Any subjective evidence of disease a patient perceives, such as aches, nausea, or fatigue. Symptoms allow the health care provider to narrow down the possible conditions that may be affecting the patient and then run tests to make a diagnosis. A times, a persons medical history can be more important then a physical test. It can be more time efficient, and lead to an easier diagnosis process. Knowing the medical history of a patient can give the doctor a starting point to make a hypothesis regarding the patients illness.
