What is missing from patient histories?

Second year students' proficiency in history taking was evaluated by the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and a written test, with particular attention to Risk Factors and Psychosocial Data. Students concentrated on obtaining Diagnostic Information on both tests, but those students who worked with preceptors in the community, (PCC program), included a wider range of data. Overall performance was higher on the OSCE which emphasized diagnostic information. Student histories tend to exclude Risk Factors and Psychosocial Data unless their inclusion is modeled and expected by faculty.