Question Types to Avoid During History Taking

While taking a history during the exam on standardized patients there are many question types to be avoided and taken care of. These are explained here briefly:

1. Suggestive Question:
One is the suggestive question, which provides the answer to the question. For example,
  ' Do you feel the pain in your left arm when you get it in your chest? '
A better way to ask the same question would be,
   ' when you get the pain in your chest, do you notice it anywhere else?'

2. Why Question:
The Why question carries tones of accusation. This type of question almost always ask a patient to account for his or her behavior and tends to put the person on the defensive. For example,
   "Why did you stop taking medication? "
The answers, however to the Why question are important, Try rephrasing the 'why' question to ' What is the reason...' so the above question can be asked like
     " What is the reason you haven't seen a doctor for three years?"

3. Multiple or Rapid fire Questions:
The multiple or rapid fire questions should also be avoided . in this question , there is more than one point of inquiry. Don't confuse the patient with a list of questions and mostly the patient will answer only the last inquiry in this way you will feel you have asked a question but will not get an answer. For example avoid asking,
    " Have you had night sweats, fever, or chills? "

4. Questions with Medical jargon:
The questions should be concise and easily understood. The context should be free of medical jargon. for example,
 "You seem to have homonymous hemianopsia."
   "Have you ever had a myocardial infarction?"
Using medical terminology as in above examples should be avoided.


5. Leading or Biased Question:
A leading or biased question carries a suggestion of the kind of response for which the interviewer is looking. for example,
   " You haven't used any recreational drugs, have you?"
      You don't have asthma' do you?"