Factors that Affect the Collection of Health History

Collecting the health history of patients is key to the provision of quality services. The

health histories of patients inform professionals about the health condition of the patients, factors

that may have contributed to their health needs, and whether or not they may have special needs

in the course of treatment. In addition, the health histories of patients also help medics offer their

patients culturally-competent care. However, despite the clear importance of health history

information, data collection is usually affected by factors that limit the ability of professionals to

get comprehensive information.

One of the barriers to getting comprehensive health histories of patients is when the

patient is of the opposite sex. When care providers are male, research has found that women

below thirty years of age are less likely to give comprehensive information. The gender

deference leads to the women being less open and therefore not providing enough information