Obtaining a general medical history: a meeting between two experts (Russian version edited by Z.Z. Balkizov)
AbstractWhen people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen. Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961)
If the main aim of medical care is to improve the health and social well-being of the patient, the act of obtaining an accurate history from the patient must be one of the key factors in achieving this aim. However, as we move into an age of advanced medical technology, the art of accurate history taking slowly moves into obscurity as greater reliance is placed upon routine and advanced investigations to formulate a provisional diagnosis. In a world where resources are unlimited and science achieves all, this approach brings no consequences. In a world where such resources are scarce, the use of the human computer, the brain, remains paramount. This short article attempts to revive the art of history taking and describes how a rational approach to obtaining such a history can provide a rich source of information: enough to provide the physician with a working diagnosis in the majority of instances.
Meditsinskoe obrazovanie i professional’noe razvitie [Medical Education and Professional Development]. 2013; (1): 60–9.