5 Element diagnosis

Question 1

What is the primary focus of a Five Element Constitutional diagnosis?

Answer 1

The focus is on the person who has the illness, not the nature of the illness itself.

Question 2

Why are symptoms not solely used to diagnose a patient’s CF?

Answer 2

Symptoms reveal that an organ is dysfunctional but do not indicate whether the organ is the primary or secondary cause of the problem.

Question 3

What are practitioners doing on two levels while taking a case history?

Answer 3

They are taking the history (the ‘business’ side) while making significant observations and interventions.

Question 4

List the main stages of taking a case history

Answer 4

1. Establishing rapport
2. Taking the main complaint
3. Questioning the systems
4. Exploring personal and family health history, relationships, and the present situation
5. ‘To feel’
6. ‘To see’

Question 5

What is the first priority when making a diagnosis?

Answer 5

Establishing rapport with the patient.

Question 6

What are the benefits of establishing rapport during a case history?

Answer 6

It builds trust, encourages patient co-operation, and facilitates open communication.

Question 7

What are the four aspects of traditional diagnosis?

Answer 7

‘To see,’ ‘to hear,’ ‘to ask,’ and ‘to feel.’

Question 8

What is the purpose of recording a patient’s main complaint in detail?

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Answer 8

*To provide information for the bigger picture- about patient’s main complaint, systems, family & personal health history, relationships, and current situation.

*Provide opportunities for emotion testing and notice patient’s colour, voice tone, and odour, while also building rapport.

*To explore onset of complaint

*Assess other organ states and elemental imbalances

*To assess and monitor the complaint’s progress

*To maintain rapport and meet patient expectations

*To confirm and support CF diagnosis by identifying patterns/triggers, such as emotional responses to life events, while understanding this information does not form the basis of CF diagnosis.

Question 9

List the components of a well-recorded complaint.

Answer 9

*Patient’s own words
*When it started and events at the time
*Location
*Quality and intensity
*Continuity or intermittence (and frequency if intermittent)
*What worsens or improves it
*Impact on activities
*Associated symptoms
*Previous treatments and medications