Which statement about ROS is true?

Which statement about ROS is true?

• A. It is a systematic review of symptoms across body systems
• B. It records only the patient’s medications
• C. It is used to assess vital signs
• D. It identifies the chief complaint

Answer: (A)

Review of Systems (ROS) is a structured, comprehensive inquiry into symptoms across different body systems. It broadens the history beyond the presenting problem by asking about current and past symptoms in areas such as cardiovascular, respiratory, GI, neuro, and more, including whether they are present or absent. This helps uncover issues the patient might not mention initially and can guide further questioning and differential diagnosis. This activity is not just about medications, which is a separate medication history, nor about vital signs, which are objective measurements taken during the exam. It also isn’t the step that identifies the chief complaint, which is the primary reason the patient sought care.

Review of Systems (ROS) is a structured, comprehensive inquiry into symptoms across different body systems. It broadens the history beyond the presenting problem by asking about current and past symptoms in areas such as cardiovascular, respiratory, GI, neuro, and more, including whether they are present or absent. This helps uncover issues the patient might not mention initially and can guide further questioning and differential diagnosis.

This activity is not just about medications, which is a separate medication history, nor about vital signs, which are objective measurements taken during the exam. It also isn’t the step that identifies the chief complaint, which is the primary reason the patient sought care.