What is typically the first step in the assessment process?

The first step in the assessment process is typically gathering patient history. This foundational action involves collecting comprehensive information regarding the patient's past and current health status, including medical history, medications, allergies, and other relevant details. By obtaining this information first, healthcare providers can contextualize subsequent assessments, such as physical examinations, vital signs measurements, or visual inspections.

Gathering patient history lays the groundwork for understanding the patient's overall health and any specific concerns they may have. This information is crucial for developing a holistic view of the patient's condition and guiding further assessment steps. Once the history is established, other assessment activities can be conducted more effectively, as the provider will have better insight into which areas may require closer examination.

Focusing on patient comfort, visual inspection, or measuring vital signs can be part of the assessment process, but these steps typically follow the initial gathering of patient history, which provides critical context for the entire evaluation.