Symptoms identified from a history provide some of the most critical information used in diagnosing a disease. When patients describe the symptoms for which they are seeking professional attention, they are also reporting the story of an illness as they have lived and remembered it, and so it can vary. To some extent, symptoms are a universal human experience. Virtually every person. Experiences some discomfort and is seeking help.

Talking with a patient has a third function: it helps that person feel understood, thereby helping establish a therapeutic relationship. A style of questioning narrowly shaped for the sole purpose of diagnosing a disease ignores much of what patients have experienced and many of their concerns and questions. It therefore often prevents the development of a trusting relationship and diminishes the ...