How to Do a Health Assessment

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Ask the person to complete a questionnaire that lists any symptoms that they have experienced in the last week to 6 months

   This should be a standard questionnaire that requires a patient to check certain boxes and allows the person space to write recent procedures.
   
   These symptoms should include musculoskeletal, ears, nose, throat, head, chest, lungs, heart, neurological, psychological, gastrointestinal and dermatological.
2. 2

   Step 2: as defined by your facility.

   Then, ask your patient to rate their general pain on a scale that you have decided upon.
   
   This will mean more in a medical, than an employment, test. , This can include a blood test for cholesterol, insulin and blood cell levels, or a pap smear if you are a woman.
   
   Also, take the height, weight, pulse and other measurements as required of a yearly physical examination.
   
   Test the vision, hearing, chest and lungs of the person with medical instruments.
   
   You will need a stethoscope and other instruments to ensure these functions are accurate.
   
   Only a doctor should perform these elements of the physical health assessment. , Test their walking ability by checking if they are able to walk unassisted from room to room.
   
   Note any problems with walking and ask the person if this causes pain on a scale of your choosing.
   
   Follow the walking test with a walking test up and down a small flight of stairs.
   
   Ask the person if this causes pain on a scale of your choosing.
   
   See if the person is able to walk unassisted outside a household.
   
   Ask if they are able to perform the tasks needed to get ready to leave the house and walk on uneven ground.
   
   They may or may not need assistive technology, such as a cane or a walker. , You can do this in a number of ways.
   
   The most common ways are asking the person to stand on 1 foot (0.3 m) for 30 seconds and then the other, and to ask them to walk on their toes and then on their heels.
3. 3

   Step 3: Ask the person to list their current medications.

4. 4

   Step 4: Perform a physical examination of the person if you are a doctor.

5. 5

   Step 5: Test the mobility of the person in question.

6. 6

   Step 6: Test the balance of the person.

Detailed Guide

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