Refocusing on history-taking skills during internal medicine training

Recognizing that skilled history-taking is in danger of becoming a lost art, the American Board of Internal Medicine calls attention to the urgent need for internal medicine residency programs to ensure that these skills are taught and assessed. Although the Board's certification examination contains standardized items that test the physician's ability to use information from a patient's medical history, the written examination cannot assess the physician's ability to elicit that history. The Board believes that history-taking skills will become even more crucial as health care delivery changes, requiring more cost efficiency without sacrificing quality. By highlighting the skills of effective history-taking and strategies for assessment, the Board offers specific recommendations for its promotion as a key element of quality patient care.