What does the ‘S’ in SAMPLE stand for?
Signs and Symptoms
What do you see (signs)? What does the patient feel (symptoms)?
What does the ‘A’ in SAMPLE stand for?
Allergies
Ask: ‘Do you have any allergies?’
What does the ‘M’ in SAMPLE stand for?
Medications
Ask: ‘What medications do you take?’
What does the ‘P’ in SAMPLE stand for?
Past Medical History
Ask: ‘Do you have any medical conditions?’
What does the ‘L’ in SAMPLE stand for?
Last Oral Intake
Ask: ‘When and what was the last thing you ate or drank?’
What does the ‘E’ in SAMPLE stand for?
Events Leading Up To
Ask: ‘What were you doing when this started?’
What does the ‘O’ in OPQRST stand for?
Onset
‘When did this start?’
What does the ‘P’ in OPQRST stand for?
Provocation / Palliation
‘What makes it better or worse?’
What does the ‘Q’ in OPQRST stand for?
Quality
‘Can you describe the pain?’
What does the ‘R’ in OPQRST stand for?
Radiation
‘Does the pain move anywhere?’
What does the ‘S’ in OPQRST stand for?
Severity
‘On a scale of 1–10, how bad is it?’
What does the ‘T’ in OPQRST stand for?
Time
‘How long has this been going on?’ or ‘Has it changed?’
What does the ‘S’ in SOAP stand for?
Subjective
What the patient says
What does the ‘O’ in SOAP stand for?
Objective
What you observe or measure
What does the ‘A’ in SOAP stand for?
Assessment
What you think is going on
What does the ‘P’ in SOAP stand for?
Plan
What you’ll do next
