Health Module
 

Unit 4:  Communicating with Health Care Providers

Lesson 2:  Knowing your Medical History

Materials Needed:

Notes If the listed medical form is unavailable at a future date, a Google search for "medical history form" will bring up many options.  Most are forms from university health centers for students starting college, but their language is identical to forms used by doctors' offices.

Notes  One form that could be very handy for students to get more practice 
           on at home has a URL that is too long to print!  To get to it, go to   
           www.intelihealth.com, then do a search with the "entire site" option for 
           "medical history form."  Then click on "go to document results" under 
           "search terms."  Click on the first result, "medical history form."  The 
           Intelihealth form is formatted and worded simply compared to many others,
           so you may prefer to substitute it for the medical form listed under

  Notes A dental form is available for practice at http://www.dentalfear.net/forms/medical_history.html.

          

Notes While there are probably many words on the form your students don't know, it is recommended that you go over those in the Word Bank initially.  Others will be given structured practice in the lesson activities, so students will be able to learn them then.

Notes Students might be able to define the form's overall category names listed in the Word Bank, like 'social history' and 'socioeconomics,' by looking at the kinds of questions asked under them on the form.

Word Bank:

best estimate
allergies
reactions
health maintenance
abnormal
screening test
stool
prior
current status
deceased
social history
substance
STDs
rate
supplements
consistently
abused
socioeconomics

Introductory Activity:  Whole Group Discussion

Notes WARNING:  Some of the vocabulary used on the medical form and practiced in Activity 2 pertains to reproductive organs and digestive byproducts!  If you are personally uncomfortable teaching these terms, if you feel your students lack the maturity to speak of them in class, or if they might be uncomfortable with some words for religious reasons, then you can remove the cards in question from the matching sets before you distribute them to the class.  Or you might want to separate the class into single sex groups to practice these words.  While you are deciding whether or not to present these words, consider that this may be the sole opportunity that your students have to learn them before encountering them at the doctor's office or hospital.

  • A lot of our communication with health care providers is done on paper.  A common form that patients are expected to fill out is a medical history form.  Has anyone filled out a medical history form in English before? 

  • What kinds of information did you have to write? 

  • Did you know all the information the doctor wanted?

  • Today we are going to practice some of the vocabulary on medical history forms, and then we'll practice filling them out. 

Activity 1:  Looking it Over

As a whole class, go over the categories of information needed (those in bold print).  Discuss what students think they mean, and then you clarify any points of confusion.  For example:

  • Let's look together at the names that are printed in bold, darker than the other words.  These are general topics of information you need to provide.  The first one says "Present Health Concerns."  Can anyone explain that with different words?

  • Now how about the next one, "Allergies or Reactions to Medicines"?  What's the difference between an allergy and a reaction? (allergy is more serious; a reaction might be uncomfortable, but it isn't fatal like an allergy to a medicine might be.)

Activity 2:  Working with Vocabulary

NOTE:  Unusual instructions for this activity!

Notes For detailed instructions on constructing the card sets and variations on matching activity procedures and variations, see Appendix D. 

This activity consists of several sets of vocabulary matching cards.  It can be split up and interspersed with other class activities by having students work with only one set of cards a day.  After they finish working with the cards, they can fill out the part(s) of the form that the card set pertains to.  This way they only need to work with the cards for a small portion of the class each day, until they have worked with all of the card sets.  Spacing it out like this makes the vocabulary less overwhelming.  Also, if the whole class is doing the same set of words on a given day, you can go over pronunciation with everyone all at one time when the matching is complete.

  • Now you're going to work in small groups.  I have matching cards from part of the form, and I want you to work together to match the words with their definitions.  Please ask me for help with pronunciation when you don't know a word.

Circulate, assist with pronunciation, and check matching.

Activity 3:  Filling Out the Form

  • Now that you understand more of the vocabulary on the form, fill in your information for the part(s) we practiced.  You don't need to show anyone your personal information, but feel free to ask me any questions you have.

  • Be sure to bring your form again to the next class so we can learn more vocabulary and fill out more information.

Continue same procedure each day until students are finished with all card sets.

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