Types of Questions to Ask When Assessing a Client's Physical Health Status

1. Medical History-Related Questions

• Past medical history: e.g., chronic conditions (diabetes, hypertension), infectious diseases, major illnesses.
• Surgical history: Including types of surgeries, dates, and recovery outcomes.
• Allergy history: Medications, foods, environmental allergens, and severity of reactions.
• Vaccination history: Recently administered vaccines and records.

2. Family History-Related Questions

• Family history of genetic diseases: e.g., heart disease, cancer, diabetes in immediate family members.
• Health status of family members: Disease history and causes of death among parents and siblings.

3. Lifestyle-Related Questions

• Dietary habits: Daily diet composition, specific dietary preferences, water intake.
• Exercise habits: Frequency, type, duration, and intensity of physical activity.
• Tobacco, alcohol, and substance use: Smoking quantity, alcohol consumption frequency, use of illicit drugs.
• Sleep quality: Sleep duration, presence of insomnia or sleep disorders.

4. Current Symptom-Related Questions

• Physical discomfort symptoms: e.g., pain, fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath.
• Symptom characteristics: Duration, frequency, triggers, and alleviating factors.

5. Medication Use-Related Questions

• Current medications: Names and dosages of prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, supplements.
• Medication adherence: Whether medications are taken as prescribed, presence of side effects.

6. Social History-Related Questions

• Occupation and environment: Nature of work, exposure risks (e.g., chemicals), stress levels.
• Living situation: Housing environment, social support networks, economic status.

7. Psychological History-Related Questions

• Mental health: Presence of anxiety, depression, history of stressful events or psychotherapy.
• Emotional state: Daily mood fluctuations, coping mechanisms.

8. Systems Review-Related Questions

• Screening of body systems: e.g., Cardiovascular (chest pain, palpitations), Respiratory (cough, wheezing), Gastrointestinal (abdominal pain, bowel movements), Genitourinary (urinary abnormalities), etc.