Which term describes the documentation of a patient’s prior health history, including conditions and treatments?

• A. Past Surgical History
• B. Review of Systems
• C. Past Medical History
• D. History of Present Illness

Answer: (C)

Past Medical History is the documentation that captures a patient’s prior health problems and the treatments they have undergone, providing a picture of their medical background and factors that may affect current care. It includes chronic conditions, past illnesses, previous hospitalizations, surgeries, medications, and other therapies that shape risk and management choices today. This makes it distinct from other sections: Past Surgical History focuses specifically on operative procedures, the Review of Systems catalogs current symptoms by body system, and the History of Present Illness describes the current problem’s onset and evolution.