Question

During a new patient visit, a medical assistant is taking the patient's chief complaint and medical history. The patient seems hesitant on sharing her past medical history. She asks you how does she know that her information will not be shared with anyone else?

What would you tell the patient on the importance of providing accurate information and history?

Answer 1

Answer :- I will explain my patient the importance of providing accurate information and history as follows:-

1. I will explain my patient if she will give accurate history it will help me to interpret her aetiology and even might help me reach to the diagnosis . Without proper history it will be difficult for me to reach to a conclusion.

2. I will explain her If she will give me accurate history, after reaching to conclusion her disease management will be started soon. And if she doesn't give accurate history and refuses to give history it will directly affect management of her disease hence a lot of time will be wasted in unnecessary advised tests.

3. I will explain her if she doesn't gives proper information about her occupation, past addictions, domestic and marital relationships, home surroundings and travel history, possibility is i might miss the important clue that otherwise could have lead me to the diagnosis of a disease.

4. I will explain to her the importance of correlation between past illness and present complaints , (like a known hypertensive patient who might develop Cardiovascular disease or known diabetic who might develop renal insufficiency, or a patient of fatty liver who might have develop cirrhosis.) Which are required to be known by a medical assistant to help reach the diagnosis.