Social and personal history

Record the relevant information about occupation, housingand personal habits including recreation,physical exercise, alcohol and tobacco and, in the case of children, about school and family relationships. Typical questions in taking a social and personal history are:

Exercises:

1. Complete the sentences. Look at A, B and C to help you.

1. Pharmacies sell a wide variety of …………… - ……………… - ………………remedies as well as dispensing prescriptions from physicians.

2. The ……………… is the quantity of the medication to be taken at any one time.

3. A drug …………………. is hypersensitivity to a particular drug.

4. A ………………….. is a medication prepared from plants, especially a traditional remedy.

5. Your brothers and your sisters are your... .

6. ………………….. is what you do for physical or mental stimulus outside work.

7. The patient's …….. to drug treatment, his willingness or ability to take the right dose at the right time and frequency, is essential.

2. Write the doctor's questions. Look at B to help you.

Doctor: (1)................................................................................................. ?

Patient: My father died twenty years ago but my mother is in good health still. She's seventy now.

Doctor: (2)................................................................................................. ?

Patient: I was still at school. He was forty-one.

Doctor: (3)................................................................................................. ?

Patient: He had a heart attack.

Doctor: (4)................................................................................................. ?

Patient: I've got a sister of forty-five and a brother who's thirty-six.

Doctor: (5)................................................................................................. ?

Patient: No, I had an elder brother but he died in his forties. He was forty-two.

Doctor: (6)................................................................................................. ?

Patient: Like my father, a heart attack.

Doctor: (7)................................................................................................. ?

Patient: Not that I know of.

Doctor: (8) As far as you know................................................................ ?

Patient: Apart from me, no.

Doctor: (9)................................................................................................. ?

Patient: Yes, a boy and a girl. He's fourteen and she's twelve.

3. Study the social history of Mr Black. Write the questions the doctor asked to obtain the numbered information. Look at C to help you.

Social history: Mr G. Black

Home - Lives in a detached house with a large garden.

Family - Four children: two girls aged 3 and 4, two boys aged 6 and 8. All are being taught at home by his wife.

Occupation – Manager. Stressful job involving dealing with frequent staff problems. Large mortgage.

Personal interests - Has little time for exercise or interests outside work.

Habits - Presently smoking 20 per day. Has tried nicotine patches without success. No problem with alcohol withdrawal.

Lesson 3