Physical Examination and Health Assessment (Book with DVD)

A physical examination is the process by which a medical professional investigates the body of a patient for signs of disease. It generally follows the taking of the medical history—an account of the symptoms as experienced by the patient. A health assessment is a plan of care that identi es the speci c needs of a person and how those needs will be addressed by the
healthcare system or skilled nursing facility. Health assessment is the evaluation of the health status of an individual along the health continuum. The purpose of the assessment is to establish where on the health continuum the individual is because this guides how to approach and treat the individual. The health ontinuum approaches range from preventative, to treatment, to palliative care in relation to the individual's status on the health continuum. In the healthcare industry it is
understood health occurs on a continuum, so the term used is assessment but may be preference by the speciality's focus such as nursing, physical therapy, etc.