What Is Meant By Social History?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Social history, Branch of history that

emphasizes social structures and the interaction of different groups in society rather than affairs of state

. An outgrowth of economic history, it expanded as a discipline in the 1960s.

Why is social history of a patient important?

Along with the chance to connect with the patient as a person, the social history can

provide vital early clues to

the presence of disease, guide physical exam and test-ordering strategies, and facilitate the provision of cost-effective, evidence-based care.

What is social history of a patient?

History, social:

An account of a patient that puts his or her illness or behavior in context

. A social history may include aspects of the patient’s developmental, family, and medical history, as well as relevant information about life events, social class, race, religion, and occupation.

What should I ask about social history?

  • What other health care professionals are currently helping care for you?
  • What are your average daily activities?
  • Any children? …
  • Ethnic background?
  • Finances; home situation (location, suitability, help available, transportation)
  • What do you do for a living?
  • Any inherited diseases?

What are social history questions?

These are the three main questions that most health care providers ask their patients when documenting a social history on a note. “

What stressors do you have in your life? What social support do you have? What is your home life like? What do you do for fun?

Why do doctors ask about social history?

The social history is also an

ideal section for patient education

and to promote healthy behaviors and lifestyles and prevention of future disease. It is important to ask about smoking, alcohol, and illicit drug use with open-ended questions.

Is smoking considered social history?

The updated Social history section on the patient Summary includes improvements to smoking status, which has been renamed “Tobacco Use”, and additional data elements to support recording alcohol use, financial resources, education, physical activity, stress, social isolation and connection, and exposure to violence.

Why do we study social history?

Social studies is a discipline that includes humanities such as geography, history, and political science. … “The primary purpose of social studies is

to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world

.”

What are the 3 types of history?

  • Medieval History.
  • Modern History.
  • Art History.

What is the social function of history?

This interaction between past and present is called the social function of the past or of history. Thus, for Lucien Febvre (1949): “History

systematically collects, classifying and grouping past events according to its current needs

.

What are the components of social history?

A social history may include aspects of

the patient’s developmental, family, and medical history

, as well as relevant information about life events, social class, race, religion, and occupation.

Why do doctors ask where you live?

In the mean time, though, individual providers, can make a point of asking patients about where they live to gain a better understanding of

their access to nutritious food, quality of housing, education, water and air

, which can inform treatment measures.

Why do doctors ask personal questions?

Physicians ask a lot of personal questions about your behavior, from sex practices to alcohol and drug usage. The point is to look

for risk factors associated with various medical conditions

, like sexually transmitted infections or infections caused by intravenous drug injections.

What is social history in social work?

A social history report is

a professional document that

is frequently prepared by social workers in a variety of direct practice settings. … The essence of the report documents the social aspect of the past and current life experience of the client.

What is the social history of medicine?

In medicine, a social history (abbreviated “SocHx”) is

a portion of the medical history

(and thus the admission note) addressing familial, occupational, and recreational aspects of the patient’s personal life that have the potential to be clinically significant.

Is diet part of social history?

A summary of life-style practices–eg, diet, exercise, sexual orientation and level of sexual activity, occupation, and habits–eg, smoking, abuse of alcohol or other substance, which may have a direct or indirect effect on a person’s health.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.