Questionnaire: Subjective or Objective Data

[momolasa]

Hi, I'm doing my family medicine rotation and I have several H&P's to complete and hand in to be graded. I've evaluated elderly patients for these H&P's, and I've used different surveys and questionnaires to help. Do the results of such surveys like a Mini Mental Status Exam, a depression screening survey, or a loneliness scale -- which are tools used to collect subjective information -- belong in the subjective or objective area of the H&P?

The main confusion stems from the fact that these types of surveys are standardized tools that are used across many patients and generate standardized scores, and the results of these surveys may be objective data just like the results of an x-ray or CT.

Thanks for your help!

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[mglavin]

Mental Status, MMSE are considered objective because they are part of the physical exam.

I have never used the other two you refer to so can't really help you there. If I had to venture a guess I would say if they are standardized and have numeric scores and such they probably fall under objective. The line is somewhat blurred because its psych.

 

[metallo]

Hi, I'm doing my family medicine rotation and I have several H&P's to complete and hand in to be graded. I've evaluated elderly patients for these H&P's, and I've used different surveys and questionnaires to help. Do the results of such surveys like a Mini Mental Status Exam, a depression screening survey, or a loneliness scale -- which are tools used to collect subjective information -- belong in the subjective or objective area of the H&P?

The main confusion stems from the fact that these types of surveys are standardized tools that are used across many patients and generate standardized scores, and the results of these surveys may be objective data just like the results of an x-ray or CT.

Thanks for your help!

I think your last statement hits the nail on the head. These are standardized tools, and they are therefore objective information. MMSE, for instance, is always considered to be part of the neuro/psych exam. Subjective information is history that you get from the patient or perhaps one of their past healthcare providers (in which case objective data such as XR/CT results could actually be considered subjective data). It can be confusing at times, but in general, any past information or history from the patient/family/others is subjective information. Any CURRENT physical exam findings, labs, standardized questionnaires, etc. would be objective data.