Clinical medicineLesson 1 of 2 in the course History taking and physical examination

Physical Examination: Purposes, Techniques, and Screening Trade-offs

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

A physical examination is a structured way for a healthcare practitioner to look for signs of illness and assess a patient's health. This lesson introduces how examination works alongside medical history, the main types of examination, and the benefits and limitations of routine checkups.

A physical examination—also called a medical or clinical examination—is an assessment in which a practitioner looks for possible signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It commonly follows questions about the patient's medical history, including reported symptoms and relevant health information.

All flashcards

What is a physical examination?
An assessment in which a healthcare practitioner looks for signs or symptoms of a medical condition, often after taking a medical history.
What is a routine physical intended to do?
It screens an asymptomatic person for possible health concerns or early signs of disease; its contents may vary.
What distinguishes a comprehensive physical?
It may include a broad combination of examination, laboratory tests, imaging, and other investigations.
What is a false positive?
A test result that suggests a problem even though that problem is not actually present.
Why might screening be tailored to an individual?
Age, sex, medical conditions, previous results, and risk factors affect the likely benefits and harms of particular tests.

Quiz questions

  1. What is the primary purpose of a diagnostic examination?Answer: To investigate a patient's complaint or suspected condition.
  2. What did a Cochrane review report about general health checks and risk of death?Answer: They did not reduce the risk of death from cancer, heart disease, or other causes.
  3. Which examination technique uses tapping to assess the sound or resonance of underlying structures?Answer: Percussion
  4. How should a clinician determine the scope of a physical examination?Answer: Adapt it to the patient's history, symptoms, and clinical question.
  5. How can explaining an examination plan help the doctor–patient relationship?Answer: It can clarify the examination's purpose and limits and support patient confidence.

Based on the Wikipedia article Physical examination, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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