Investigation of Patient-Reported symptoms

Factor

Questions for Patient and Caregiver

Record

P

Precipitating and Palliative

Were there any events that came before the symptoms? What makes it better or worse? What have you done for the symptom and did it help?

Influence of physical and emotional activities. Patient’s attempts to alleviate (or treat) the symptom

Q

Quality

Tell me what the symptoms feels like (e.g., aching, dull, pressure, burning, stabbing)

Patient’s own words (e.g., “Like a pinch or stabbing feeling”)

R

Radiation

Where do you feel the symptom? Does it move to other areas?

Region of body, Local or radiating, superficial or deep.

S

Severity

On a scale of 0-10, with 0 meaning no pain and 10 being the worst pain you could imagine, what number would you give your symptom?

Pain rating number like 7/10 (Moderate to severe)

T

Timing

When did the symptom start? Any particular time of day, week, month, or year? Has the symptom changed over time? Where you and what were you doing when the symptom occurs?

Time of onset, duration, periodicity, and frequency. Course of symptoms. Where patient is and what patient is doing when the symptom occurs