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THE HPI Exam Questions With Correct
Answers
What belongs in HPI? - answer✔✔Subjective Information
What is an HPI? - answer✔✔Story of symptoms and events that led to the patient's ED visit
Onset - answer✔✔When did the complaint begin?
Timing - answer✔✔Has it been constant, intermittent, or waxing and waning?
Location - answer✔✔Where is the discomfort?
Quality - answer✔✔Does it feel sharp, dull, aching, cramping...?
Severity - answer✔✔How bad is it? Mild, mod, severe or 0-10?
Modifying Factors - answer✔✔What makes it better? What makes it worse?
Associated Sx - answer✔✔Do any other symptoms accompany the complaint?
Context - answer✔✔Is there anything else that's important?
HPI Formula - answer✔✔1) Begin with the age and sex of the patient
2) State the complaint and onset
3) Describe the quality, location, and timing
4) Has anything improved or worsened it?
5) List associated symptoms
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6) List pertinent negatives
7) Describe any other important context specific to that patient
Writing A Good HPI - answer✔✔The more closely you can stick to the formula, the better your
HPI will be.
Try to remember the pt's answers as a general story, rather than focusing on remembering the
individual facts.
Groups all related information together; finish describing all the details of one complaint before
moving on to the next.
Try to word your HPI as a doctor would speak: translate things that the patient says into phrasing
that sounds more like a doctor. When in doubt, you may always document direct patient quotes.
Re-Wording PT Statements - answer✔✔"Symptoms were unchanged by tums.
HPI Dont's - answer✔✔don't use days of the week for onset.
Don't use the word "got."
Don't start every sentence the same.
Don't document slef-diagnoses in the HPI.
don't include PMHx, PSHx, or SHx that is not relevant to the chief complaint. (Document only
medical histories, surgeries, or social habits that directly relate to the patient's chief complaint).
Similar Symptoms - answer✔✔Is it common to encounter patients in the ED who are seeking
evaluation for a symptom they have experienced at some time in the past.
For these patients:
THE HPI Exam Questions With Correct
Answers
What belongs in HPI? - answer✔✔Subjective Information
What is an HPI? - answer✔✔Story of symptoms and events that led to the patient's ED visit
Onset - answer✔✔When did the complaint begin?
Timing - answer✔✔Has it been constant, intermittent, or waxing and waning?
Location - answer✔✔Where is the discomfort?
Quality - answer✔✔Does it feel sharp, dull, aching, cramping...?
Severity - answer✔✔How bad is it? Mild, mod, severe or 0-10?
Modifying Factors - answer✔✔What makes it better? What makes it worse?
Associated Sx - answer✔✔Do any other symptoms accompany the complaint?
Context - answer✔✔Is there anything else that's important?
HPI Formula - answer✔✔1) Begin with the age and sex of the patient
2) State the complaint and onset
3) Describe the quality, location, and timing
4) Has anything improved or worsened it?
5) List associated symptoms
, ©THEBRIGHTSTARS 2024
6) List pertinent negatives
7) Describe any other important context specific to that patient
Writing A Good HPI - answer✔✔The more closely you can stick to the formula, the better your
HPI will be.
Try to remember the pt's answers as a general story, rather than focusing on remembering the
individual facts.
Groups all related information together; finish describing all the details of one complaint before
moving on to the next.
Try to word your HPI as a doctor would speak: translate things that the patient says into phrasing
that sounds more like a doctor. When in doubt, you may always document direct patient quotes.
Re-Wording PT Statements - answer✔✔"Symptoms were unchanged by tums.
HPI Dont's - answer✔✔don't use days of the week for onset.
Don't use the word "got."
Don't start every sentence the same.
Don't document slef-diagnoses in the HPI.
don't include PMHx, PSHx, or SHx that is not relevant to the chief complaint. (Document only
medical histories, surgeries, or social habits that directly relate to the patient's chief complaint).
Similar Symptoms - answer✔✔Is it common to encounter patients in the ED who are seeking
evaluation for a symptom they have experienced at some time in the past.
For these patients:
