The social history is essential – in some cases more essential than the medical history. Fortunately, there is an easy way to remember it (thankyou, Doug)
Family/ Friends – including marital status, range of kids ages, who their carer is and the state of their carers health, do they have any friends, problems in the family
Fertility- impotence for men, other issues for women – been through IVF?
Food- dietary history, any obesity issues?
Freud- depression including suicide attempts. Ask for organic symptoms of weight loss, sleep change, poor concerntration and memory, poor work performance, suicidal ideation, general mood, feelings of guilt and worthlessness
Fags – ask about alcohol in the form of beer or other, forensic history if alcohol is an issue, cigarettes or other drugs
Function including problems with cognition, bladder/ bowels, hearing or visual loss, mobility issues including falls risk, ADLs
Footsteps – where do they live, number of steps to the house/ flat
Fun - Hobbies
Finances – any difficulty? And the effect on the family.
Feel about illness, future; what they see as their greatest problem.
If this seems quite a lot of remember, perhaps group them into 3 easy to remember areas;
1- Relationships – Friends, family, and Fertility issues
2- Personal – Food, Freud, Fags (EtoH, cigarettes or other), Feel about illness, Function (ADLs)
3- Environmental – Finanaces, Footsteps, Fun