Okay, here’s the deal, your prof is probably looking for the seven components of the History of Present Illness (HPI). Forget the mnemonics for a second and just think about what you need to know about a complaint like “headache.”
Where exactly is it? (Location)
What does it feel like? (Quality)
How bad is it? (Severity)
When did it start and how often? (Timing/Duration)
What were you doing when it started? (Setting/Context)
What makes it better or worse? (Aggravating/Alleviating factors)
Anything else going on with it? Nausea, blurry vision, etc. (Associated Symptoms)
That’s your seven. I remember getting tripped up on the difference between Timing and Duration, but Timing is more about the onset (sudden or gradual) and pattern (intermittent or constant), while Duration is how long the symptom itself lasts or has lasted overall. Keep ’em separate and you’ll nail the question.
If you’re in the US, most schools teach OLD CARTS for the seven (or eight, depending on if you split Timing and Duration).
O – Onset/TimingL – LocationD – Duration
C – Character (Quality)A – Aggravating/Alleviating FactorsR – Radiation (which is kinda part of location but often gets its own slot)T – Treatment (what they’ve tried)S – Severity
Wait, your question asks for seven. So let’s stick to the core seven without adding the ‘R’ or ‘T’. Just go with Location, Quality, Severity, Timing, Duration, Context/Setting, and Modifying/Associated Factors. You’ll be safe with those seven classic components. Don’t overthink it!
I think what you’re looking for is the detailed breakdown of the presenting complaint. Forget all the complicated names, just think about what a doctor absolutely has to know about a pain or symptom.
Where is it?
What does it feel like?
How bad is it?
When did it start?
What makes it start or happen?
What makes it better or worse?
Does anything else happen when you have it?
That’s the seven. They are sometimes called the seven attributes of a symptom. Simple and effective for your assignment.
Oh, the seven questions! That’s easy. It’s the standard way we characterize any symptom. I always thought of it as painting a detailed picture of the complaint.
Location
Quality
Severity
Timing/Onset
Duration
Context
Modifying Factors (what changes it)
My clinical instructor always stressed that Modifying Factors is the most diagnostic one. Finding out that the shoulder pain only happens when they lift their arm above their head (aggravating factor) or that the stomach ache goes away after they use the restroom (alleviating factor) is way more useful than just knowing the pain is a 6/10. Make sure you list that one clearly.
The seven questions? That’s the L Q S T D M A framework I learned.L – LocationQ – Quality (What does it feel like?)S – Severity (Scale of 1-10)T – Timing (When did it start? How often?)D – Duration (How long does it last?)M – Modifying factors (Better/Worse)A – Associated symptoms (Anything else?)This stuff is absolutely essential. If you don’t hit all seven, you’re missing a chunk of the story. For example, if a patient says “I have chest pain,” but you don’t ask about quality (is it sharp or crushing?) and associated symptoms (nausea, shortness of breath?), you could completely miss a heart attack! It’s all about thoroughness.
Okay, here’s the deal, your prof is probably looking for the seven components of the History of Present Illness (HPI). Forget the mnemonics for a second and just think about what you need to know about a complaint like “headache.”
Where exactly is it? (Location)
What does it feel like? (Quality)
How bad is it? (Severity)
When did it start and how often? (Timing/Duration)
What were you doing when it started? (Setting/Context)
What makes it better or worse? (Aggravating/Alleviating factors)
Anything else going on with it? Nausea, blurry vision, etc. (Associated Symptoms)
That’s your seven. I remember getting tripped up on the difference between Timing and Duration, but Timing is more about the onset (sudden or gradual) and pattern (intermittent or constant), while Duration is how long the symptom itself lasts or has lasted overall. Keep ’em separate and you’ll nail the question.
If you’re in the US, most schools teach OLD CARTS for the seven (or eight, depending on if you split Timing and Duration).
O – Onset/TimingL – LocationD – Duration
C – Character (Quality)A – Aggravating/Alleviating FactorsR – Radiation (which is kinda part of location but often gets its own slot)T – Treatment (what they’ve tried)S – Severity
Wait, your question asks for seven. So let’s stick to the core seven without adding the ‘R’ or ‘T’. Just go with Location, Quality, Severity, Timing, Duration, Context/Setting, and Modifying/Associated Factors. You’ll be safe with those seven classic components. Don’t overthink it!
I think what you’re looking for is the detailed breakdown of the presenting complaint. Forget all the complicated names, just think about what a doctor absolutely has to know about a pain or symptom.
Where is it?
What does it feel like?
How bad is it?
When did it start?
What makes it start or happen?
What makes it better or worse?
Does anything else happen when you have it?
That’s the seven. They are sometimes called the seven attributes of a symptom. Simple and effective for your assignment.
Oh, the seven questions! That’s easy. It’s the standard way we characterize any symptom. I always thought of it as painting a detailed picture of the complaint.
Location
Quality
Severity
Timing/Onset
Duration
Context
Modifying Factors (what changes it)
My clinical instructor always stressed that Modifying Factors is the most diagnostic one. Finding out that the shoulder pain only happens when they lift their arm above their head (aggravating factor) or that the stomach ache goes away after they use the restroom (alleviating factor) is way more useful than just knowing the pain is a 6/10. Make sure you list that one clearly.
The seven questions? That’s the L Q S T D M A framework I learned.L – LocationQ – Quality (What does it feel like?)S – Severity (Scale of 1-10)T – Timing (When did it start? How often?)D – Duration (How long does it last?)M – Modifying factors (Better/Worse)A – Associated symptoms (Anything else?)This stuff is absolutely essential. If you don’t hit all seven, you’re missing a chunk of the story. For example, if a patient says “I have chest pain,” but you don’t ask about quality (is it sharp or crushing?) and associated symptoms (nausea, shortness of breath?), you could completely miss a heart attack! It’s all about thoroughness.