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SUBJECTIVE DATA COLLECTION
Finding —
Foundational Items
highlighted in gray Example Questions Pro Tips
Asking a patient broadly about their chief
complaint allows them to answer in their own
Established chief What brings you in words and confirm information that you may have
complaint today? already received from another source.
Reports abdominal Do you have any Asking for details about the abdominal pain helps
pain abdominal pain? to determine the origin.
Understanding all of a patient's reason for visiting
is an important foundation to establish. If there are
Are you able to multiple symptoms, especially related symptoms
Reports difficulty with have a bowel like constipation and bowel pain, follow up on each
bowel movements movement? one during your interview.
Can you please You should ask geriatric patients whether they are
Asked about state your full oriented to their basic surroundings so you can
orientation name? determine their cognitive functioning.
You should ask geriatric patients to state their
Oriented to own Can you tell me who name so you can determine their cognitive
person you are? functioning.
You should ask geriatric patients to identify where
Do you know where they are so you can determine their cognitive
Oriented to place you are right now? functioning.
You should ask geriatric patients to identify their
Do you know why reason for being here so you can determine their
Oriented to situation you are here today? cognitive functioning.
You should ask geriatric patients to identify the
What is the date date and year so you can determine their cognitive
Oriented to time and year? functioning.
Whenever you are assessing a symptom or a health
condition, in this case stomach pain, inquiring
Asked about onset of When did your about onset allows you to assess the severity and
the pain stomach pain start? the progression of the problem.
Whenever you are assessing a symptom or a health
condition, in this case stomach pain, inquiring
Reports discomfort How long have you about onset allows you to assess the severity and
for the past five days had stomach pain? the progression of the problem.
Whenever you are assessing a symptom or a health
Reports pain condition, in this case stomach pain, inquiring
worsened intensely 2- Has the stomach about changes in the pain allows you to assess the
3 days ago pain changed? severity and the progression of the problem.
Identification of the location of your patient's
Asked about location Where is your stomach pain can provide important clues about its
of the pain stomach pain? cause and how it should be best treated.
Identification of the location of your patient's
Reports pain in lower Where is your discomfort can provide important clues about its
abdomen discomfort located? cause and how it should be best treated.
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, SHADOW HEALTH FOCUSED EXAM: ABDOMINAL PAIN ASSIGNMENT ANSWER KEY
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|ldentifying the location of your patient's pain
Reports pain is not Is the painina provides important clues about its cause and how
localized specific spot? to treat it best.
Flank pain often occurs with disorders of the
urinary tract. When a patient complains of flank
Do you have pain pain, assess for co-occurring symptoms such as
Denies flank pain on your sides? fever, chills, hematuria, and dysuria.
For many people, it is difficult to clearly describe
Can you tell me how pain. Asking your patient to rate her pain on a scale
Asked about pain much it hurts on a from zero to 10 develops a consistent measure of
rating on a scale scale of 0 to 10? pain severity.
For many people, it is difficult to clearly describe
How would you rate pain. Asking your patient to rate her pain on a scale
Reports current pain your pain on a scale from zero to 10 develops a consistent measure of
rating of 2/10 of one to ten? pain severity.
For many people, it is difficult to clearly describe
How would you rate pain. Asking your patient to rate her pain at its
Reports pain at its your pain at its lowest on a scale from zero to 10 develops a
lowest is 2/10 lowest? consistent measure of pain severity.
For many people, it is difficult to clearly describe
How would you rate pain. Asking your patient to rate her pain at its
Reports pain at its your pain at its highest on a scale from zero to 10 develops a
worst is 8/10 worst? consistent measure of pain severity.
Asking your patient to describe her pain helps
identify its cause and the severity. Patients may
Asked about
not know how to answer, so you may need to
characteristics of the What is the pain suggest words like sharp, dull, burning, throbbing,
pain like? or shooting.
Asking your patient to describe her pain helps
identify its cause and the severity. Patients may
not know how to answer, so you may need to
Can you describe suggest words like sharp, dull, burning, throbbing,
Describes pain as dull the pain? or shooting.
Asking your patient to describe her pain helps
identify its cause and the severity. Patients may
not know how to answer, so you may need to
Describes pain as Can you describe suggest words like sharp, dull, burning, throbbing,
cramping the pain? or shooting.
It's important to ask your patient if her pain is
constant or intermittent in order to determine her
level of discomfort and identify the cause of the
Describes pain as Is your pain pain. Constant pain is often best managed with
constant constant? around-the-clock pain medications.
Whenever you are assessing a symptom or a health
condition, in this case stomach pain, inquiring
Describes pain as Does your pain about changes in the pain allows you to assess the
fluctuating in severity fluctuate? severity and the nature of the problem.
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