John Hay
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Principles of Biomedical Technology (Principles of Biomedical Science)
Unit 2: Unit 2.1 Talk to Your DocPBS 2.1Biotechnology Research and Experiments

Conduct A Patient History

Use patient evidence to conduct a patient history without overclaiming.

Builds on (2 levels back)inferred · high confidence
  • Sign vs. symptom: Clinical data mixes measured findings with patient-reported history.
  • Normal range comparison: Students need a reference range or baseline to tell whether a value is concerning.

Prerequisites are inferred: pending teacher review.

Re-learn the skill with worked practice and clear examples.

Ask history of present illness (HPI) questions: when it started and how it has changed.

Step 1: Read the table
The table lists the parts of a patient interview.
Interview partWhat it captures
Chief complaintThe patient's main reason for the visit, in their words
History of present illnessWhen it started, how it changed, what makes it worse
SubjectiveWhat the patient reports feeling
ObjectiveWhat the clinician measures
Table of patient-history interview parts and what each captures
Step 2: Build the HPI
After the chief complaint, ask when it began and what changes it.
Practice

Using the table, which question belongs to the history of present illness (HPI)?

Reviewed
Interview partWhat it captures
Chief complaintThe patient's main reason for the visit, in their words
History of present illnessWhen it started, how it changed, what makes it worse
SubjectiveWhat the patient reports feeling
ObjectiveWhat the clinician measures
Table of patient-history interview parts and what each captures
  1. A.When did the sore throat start, and has it gotten worse?
  2. B.What is your favorite color?
  3. C.What is the clinic's address?
  4. D.How many chairs are in the waiting room?
Show the worked solution ▾

Answer: A. When did the sore throat start, and has it gotten worse?

  1. Step 1: Find the HPI row: The table says HPI captures when it started and how it changed.
  2. Step 2: Match the question: Asking when it started and whether it worsened fits the HPI.

Why it's right: The table defines HPI as when a problem started and how it changed, which the start-and-worsening question asks.

Why the others miss:
  • B: Favorite color is not part of a medical history.
  • C: The clinic address is not about the illness.
  • D: Counting chairs has nothing to do with the patient's illness.

Aligned to Biotechnology Research and Experiments · reading level ~grade 9

Where you'd see this
  • A clinician asks HPI questions to learn how a problem began and changed over time.
Careers that use this
Physician Assistant: Asks the chief complaint and history of present illness, separating what the patient reports from what is measured.
Video library
Watch: Conduct A Patient History
How to take a Medical History - OSCE - SOAP Notes - Clinical Skills (Part 1)
Medicosis Perfectionalis · 14:55
Guided notes

Fill these in as you work through the lesson.

Big idea: A patient history captures the chief complaint and history of present illness, sorting reported information from measured information.
Key terms: write the meaning
  • Chief complaint (patient's main reason for the visit):  
  • History of present illness (when it started and how it changed):  
  • Subjective (what the patient reports):  
  • Objective (what the clinician measures):  
The rule

Start with the chief  , then ask the history of present  , sorting reported from measured information.

Check yourself
  1. What is the patient's main reason for the visit? 
  2. When did it start and how has it changed? 
  3. Is this finding reported or measured? 
Work one example

Read the interview table and sort each finding into subjective (reported) or objective (measured).