Lesson 1Social and behavioural history: smoking, alcohol, occupation, living conditions, exercise, salt intakeThis lesson covers how to get a focused social and behavioural history, including smoking, alcohol use, job, environmental risks, home setup, eating habits, exercise, and salt intake, and how these affect heart and lung risks.
Smoking history, pack-years, and quitting stageAlcohol use, checks, and adviceJob, dust, and chemical risksHome setup, heating, and dampnessPhysical activity, exercise, and limitsEating patterns, salt intake, and weightLesson 2Red flag and alarm symptoms: syncope, chest pain, hemoptysis, sudden worsening, severe hypotensionThis lesson explains spotting and checking red flag symptoms like fainting, sudden chest pain, coughing blood, quick shortness of breath, and low blood pressure, stressing timing, linked features, and when to seek emergency help.
Describing sudden chest pain and startChecking fainting, near-fainting, and fallsAssessing coughing blood amount and causesSudden breathlessness and possible lung clotSpotting shock, low pressure, and poor flowLevels for urgent help and emergency sendLesson 3Communication skills and documentation: open questions, focused clarifying questions, safety netting and recording key timestamps and responsesThis lesson focuses on building trust, using open and specific questions, checking patient worries, summing up, safety advice, and properly noting symptoms, times, and answers in a clear, legal medical record.
Structuring the heart-lung talkUsing open questions for the storySpecific questions for main symptomsChecking understanding and shared plansSafety advice, red flag tips, and follow-upClear, time-noted medical notesLesson 4Past medical history probes: hypertension, ischemic heart disease, valvular disease, rheumatic fever, COPD, sleep apnea, anemia, renal diseaseThis lesson covers targeted questions on heart and lung related conditions, including high blood pressure, blocked heart arteries, valve issues, rheumatic fever, COPD, sleep apnea, low blood, and kidney problems, and how these affect risks and possible diagnoses.
Clarifying past heart diagnoses and treatmentsNoting high blood pressure length and controlHistory of rheumatic fever and valve effectsLong-term lung issues, COPD, and asthma detailsSleep apnea, fat-related breathing, and machine useKidney issues, low blood, and heart-kidney linksLesson 5System-specific symptom screens: cough, wheeze, chest pain, palpitations, edema distribution, urinary symptomsThis lesson guides system-based checks for lung, heart, and kidney symptoms, including cough, wheeze, chest pain, heart flutters, swelling patterns, urine changes, and general signs that help narrow possible causes.
Lung check: cough, phlegm, and wheezeHeart check: chest pain and fluttersSwelling pattern and spreadNight urine, low output, and kidney block signsGeneral signs: fever, weight loss, tirednessLinking system signs to possible causesLesson 6Targeted symptom history: dyspnea onset, progression, orthopnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, exertional toleranceThis lesson teaches structured checking of breathlessness, sitting-up breathing, night breath attacks, effort tolerance, cough, and linked symptoms, focusing on start, worsening, triggers, and daily life effects.
Start and worsening of breathlessness timelineSitting-up and night breath attacksEffort tolerance and activity limitsCough, phlegm, and wheeze detailsChest tightness, pain, and fluttersEffects on sleep, work, and daily lifeLesson 7Family history and risk factors: premature cardiovascular disease, cardiomyopathies, thrombophiliaThis lesson covers getting family history of early heart disease, heart muscle issues, irregular beats, clotting risks, and sudden death, and adding family genetic and shared life risks to overall risk levels.
Early blocked arteries in familyInherited heart muscle and rhythm issuesFamily history of vein clotsSudden unexplained death and irregular beatsShared life and environment factorsWhen to suggest genetic advice referralLesson 8Medication review and adherence: prescription, OTC, herbal, adherence barriers, recent changesThis lesson explores full medicine history taking, including doctor-prescribed, over-the-counter and herbal remedies, recent shifts, sticking barriers, side effects, and links relevant to heart-lung disease and worsening.
Listing all prescribed and over-the-counter medicinesSpotting heart and lung affecting drugsRecent medicine changes and worseningChecking sticking, beliefs, and habitsFinding bad effects and drug linksInhaler use and device problems
