Current activity: occupation, hobbies, what the patient actually does.Distinguishable from history of previous illness, often called past medical history (PMH). History of present illness (HPI): the chronological order of events of symptoms and further clarification of each symptom.Also called 'chief concern' or 'presenting complaint'. These are the ' symptoms.' They are in the patient's own words and are recorded along with the duration of each one. Chief complaint (CC): the reason for the current medical visit.The components of the medical interview and encounter are: The diagnosis and treatment may take only a few minutes or a few weeks depending upon the complexity of the issue. Follow-ups may be shorter but follow the same general procedure, and specialists follow a similar process. The medical encounter is then documented in the medical record, which is a legal document in many jurisdictions. During the encounter, properly informing the patient of all relevant facts is an important part of the relationship and the development of trust. Differential diagnosis methods help to rule out conditions based on the information provided. blood tests), take a biopsy, or prescribe pharmaceutical drugs or other therapies. After examination for signs and interviewing for symptoms, the doctor may order medical tests (e.g. stethoscope, tongue depressor) are typically used. The doctor-patient relationship typically begins an interaction with an examination of the patient's medical history and medical record, followed by a medical interview and a physical examination. In modern clinical practice, physicians and physician assistants personally assess patients in order to diagnose, prognose, treat, and prevent disease using clinical judgment. In the developed world, evidence-based medicine is not universally used in clinical practice for example, a 2007 survey of literature reviews found that about 49% of the interventions lacked sufficient evidence to support either benefit or harm. Modern scientific medicine is highly developed in the Western world, while in developing countries such as parts of Africa or Asia, the population may rely more heavily on traditional medicine with limited evidence and efficacy and no required formal training for practitioners.

Medical availability and clinical practice varies across the world due to regional differences in culture and technology. Alternative treatments outside of scientific medicine with safety and efficacy concerns are termed quackery.Įlizabeth Blackwell, the first female physician in the United States graduated from SUNY Upstate (1847) Prescientific forms of medicine, now known as traditional medicine or folk medicine, remain commonly used in the absence of scientific medicine, and are thus called alternative medicine. For example, while stitching technique for sutures is an art learned through practice, the knowledge of what happens at the cellular and molecular level in the tissues being stitched arises through science. In recent centuries, since the advent of modern science, most medicine has become a combination of art and science (both basic and applied, under the umbrella of medical science). For example, a medicine man would apply herbs and say prayers for healing, or an ancient philosopher and physician would apply bloodletting according to the theories of humorism. Medicine has been practiced since prehistoric times, and for most of this time it was an art (an area of skill and knowledge), frequently having connections to the religious and philosophical beliefs of local culture. Contemporary medicine applies biomedical sciences, biomedical research, genetics, and medical technology to diagnose, treat, and prevent injury and disease, typically through pharmaceuticals or surgery, but also through therapies as diverse as psychotherapy, external splints and traction, medical devices, biologics, and ionizing radiation, amongst others. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness. Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Statue of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, holding the symbolic Rod of Asclepius with its coiled serpent

Clinical science laboratory