History Taking

Essential whenever the patient cannot give a reliable account

A memory aid for when and how to take a collateral history.

Prescribed, over the counter, herbal, recreational, and the allergy detail

A memory aid for taking a complete medication history.

SPIKES: Setting, Perception, Invitation, Knowledge, Emotions, Strategy

A mnemonic for a structured approach to difficult conversations.

Occupation, travel, animals, hobbies and contacts

A memory aid for the exposures that change a differential diagnosis.

Site, Onset, Character, Radiation, Associations, Time course, Exacerbating factors, Severity

A mnemonic for taking a complete pain history.

Presenting complaint, history, past history, drugs, allergies, family, social, systems review

A memory aid for the structure of a full medical history.

A brief screen of each body system to catch what the history has missed

A memory aid for the screening questions in a systems enquiry.