Guide for Focused History Taking

Abstract

Focused history taking is focusing on one main complaint of the patient in history of present illness, and attempting to collect all related details in other parts of history. This requires mastering the skill and content for complete health history taking in the previous chapters and abundant knowledge of pathophysiology of disease, as well as capacity to classify and propose the possible diagnosis according to what is known. Usually such focused history taking is required when seeing patients during outpatient service or at emergency department.