HOMOEOPATHIC
CASE TAKING STRATEGIES
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Which Symptom Is Most Important?
• A 64 year old lady presents 1 month after her mother died.
• She has blond hair, blue eyes, is very weepy at
presentation, and asks for the window to be opened to let
some air in.
• She has a 3 week history of back pain, which is burning,
better from heat, worse for rest, and better once she gets it
moving.
• She has angina, with left sided chest pain on minimal
exertion.
• She craves pickles, is irritable with her family and
describes a feeling as if her uterus might fall out.
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§83 CASE TAKING “demands
nothing of the medical-art
practitioner except…
• freedom from bias
• attention while observing
• fidelity in recording the image of the
disease”
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Case Taking
• §84 Do not interrupt
• §85 Take a new line for each symptom
• §98 Use patient’s own words
• §86-89 Go back for more information later
Ask only open questions
• §91-92 Symptom picture before intervention
is important
www.facultyofhomeopathy.org
Case Taking
• §93-95 MIND symptoms should be asked at the end
- Aetiology
- Maintaining Factors
- Suicidality, living habits, stress, addictions,
diet etc.
• §95 Chronic Disease – elicit chronic patterns the
patient may
think insignificant (e.g. menses, a
particular cough/habit –“it’s been
there so long I forgot about it”).
www.facultyofhomeopathy.org
Case Taking - Sample Layout
• Presenting Complaint – patient/relative’s account
• Past Medical History/Drug History
• Family History
• Social/Personal History
• Systemic Inquiry – include sexual history
• Homoeopathic History
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Case Taking – Homoeopathic
History
• General Symptoms – “I” – Temp, Sweat, Time,
Position
• Food/Appetite
• Thirst
• Sleep/Dreams
• Mental Symptoms
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Case Taking – Homoeopathic
History
• Mental Symptoms
- Will
- Understanding
- Memory
• Mental Characteristics
- Patient’s thoughts
- Own Observations
- ?Transference/Counter-transference
• Strange, Rare & Peculiar
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