Exploring Symptoms: An Evidence-based Approach to the Patient History

Understand the relationship between disease and description with this invaluable guide

Correctly interpreting patient symptoms is one of the most critical components of medical diagnosis and treatment. Though each instance of any given disease will share features with others, each patient’s experience is unique, and assessment of their condition depends on taking and interpreting an individual patient’s history. Correct diagnosis and treatment decisions rely on a sound, evidence-based approach to this crucial clinical interaction.

Exploring Symptoms: An Evidence-based Approach to the Patient History offers a rigorous analysis of the complex relationship between symptoms and patient communication. Carefully connecting basic sciences such as anatomy and physiology with the development of symptoms in each body system, this book surveys evidence for how patients tend to experience and describe symptoms and how these descriptions can shape diagnosis and treatment. It’s a must-have volume for students and clinicians looking to concretely improve patient outcomes.

Exploring Symptoms readers will also find:

• Detailed discussion of patient thresholds for presenting symptoms to healthcare professionals
• Analysis of individual symptom epidemiology and its general expression at both the patient and population level
• An inclusive approach with concrete advice for addressing the needs of a diverse patient body

Exploring Symptoms is ideal for undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as healthcare educators and postgraduate-allied health professionals. It is also a useful tool for early-years practitioners and general practitioners.