Episode 6: History Taking Pearls & Pitfalls

In this episode hosts Monika and Sammy hone in on history taking. The beauty of the subjective is that each question is planting a seed in the patient’s mind. Sometimes we will harvest several sessions later, once the patient has had time to reflect. We can use questions to invite their curiosity, create an individualized blueprint for their care, and increase their engagement with treatment. We share our common pitfalls including: 

• Asking leading questions
• Making assumptions
• Asking vague questions

And offer suggestions for each pitfall and additional tips for an insightful subjective assessment.

Highlights from our conversation in Episode 6: History Taking Pearls & Pitfalls

• Common pitfall: leading questions (1:31)
• Starting the interview & what to listen for (5:12)
• Open-ended questions (9:24)
• Ask to prioritize and avoid assumptions (10:34)
• Planting seeds for reflection (15:06)
• Waiting for a response (17:08) 
• Creating a question funnel (20:08)
• Questions for understanding your patient’s journey (22:37)
• Questions for goal setting (28:37)
• Using reflection/summarization statements (31:47)
• Top tips for history taking (33:58)

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Conscious Clinician. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and write a review for the podcast to grow our community. Keep the conversation going by following The Conscious Clinician on Instagram and Facebook. 

Resources from Episode 6: History Taking Pearls & Pitfalls

• Episode 3: Readiness to Change (15:21) 
• Follow The Conscious Clinician on Instagram 
• Follow The Conscious Clinician on Facebook 
• Follow Dr. Sammy Steele on Instagram & LinkedIn
• Follow Dr. Monika Stefanowicz on Instagram & LinkedIn