Lesson 1Systematic symptom inquiry: sleep, mood, cognition, weight, feversLearn a step-by-step method to probe symptoms in tired patients, including sleep patterns, feelings, thinking, hunger, weight shifts, fevers, night sweats, and aches, to shape a sharp list of possible causes and direct tests.
Clarifying nonrestorative sleep and snoringScreening for low mood, anhedonia, and anxietyAssessing concentration, memory, and brain fogAsking about weight change and appetite shiftsEvaluating fevers, chills, sweats, and myalgiasLesson 2How to ask about psychiatric symptoms: depression, anxiety, PTSDThis part teaches gentle, trauma-aware ways to inquire about low mood, worry, PTSD, and linked issues, using proven screens, everyday words, and follow-ups on dangers and daily struggles.
Using PHQ-2 and PHQ-9 in fatigue evaluationScreening for generalized anxiety symptomsTrauma-informed questions about PTSD featuresAssessing suicidality and self-harm riskExploring sleep, guilt, and concentration changesLesson 3Framing questions to elicit sleep hygiene, shift work, and circadian issuesFocuses on sharp questions about sleep routines, habits, night shifts, and body clock problems, to separate lifestyle sleep troubles from main sleep illnesses or health causes of tiredness.
Characterizing bedtime, wake time, and variabilityCaffeine, alcohol, and sedative use before sleepScreening for shift work and rotating schedulesIdentifying jet lag and circadian misalignmentBedroom environment and pre-sleep routinesLesson 4Medication, substance, and supplement review focused on fatigue causesCovers thorough checks of prescribed meds, shop-bought pills, drugs, and extras that spark or boost tiredness, with tips on question phrasing and getting patients to open up.
Identifying sedating and anticholinergic drugsScreening for beta-blockers and antihypertensivesAsking about alcohol, cannabis, and illicit drugsReviewing OTC antihistamines and sleep aidsDocumenting herbal and dietary supplement useLesson 5Functional impact and screening for red flags (work, ADLs, safety)Learn to gauge how tiredness hits jobs, learning, driving, and daily care, plus check for warnings like heart-lung issues, bugs, cancers, or self-harm thoughts needing quick action or specialist care.
Assessing work and school performance changesEvaluating ADLs, IADLs, and caregiver rolesScreening for cardiopulmonary red flag symptomsIdentifying infection, malignancy, and weight lossAssessing safety risks including falls and drivingLesson 6Principles of focused history-taking in primary careExplains building a tight tiredness history in clinic care, mixing detail with time limits, open-closed questions, safety first, and fitting chats to age, other ills, and visit type.
Setting agenda and clarifying patient concernsUsing open-ended questions to start historyTargeted review of systems for fatigueBalancing thoroughness with time constraintsAdapting history to acute vs chronic fatigueLesson 7Documentation templates and succinct handoff language for preceptorsMaster short, issue-focused tiredness history notes with templates, key words, structured checks, and crisp verbal pass-ons highlighting warnings and next diagnosis moves.
SOAP note structure for fatigue encountersEfficient phrasing of pertinent positivesDocumenting pertinent negatives and red flagsSummarizing functional impact and safety issuesOrganizing a clear, concise verbal handoffLesson 8Assessing menstrual, menopausal, and endocrine history in middle-aged patientsTeaches gathering monthly cycles, change-of-life, thyroid, and hormone histories in mid-age tired patients, covering patterns, hot-cold flashes, treatments, and risks for gland problems.
Characterizing menstrual regularity and flowScreening for perimenopausal vasomotor symptomsHistory of hormone therapy and contraceptivesTargeted thyroid and adrenal symptom questionsAssessing diabetes and metabolic syndrome risksLesson 9Targeted family and social history questions relevant to fatigueGather pointed family and social stories tied to tiredness, like inherited ills, care burdens, work hazards, money woes, and living ways affecting rest and vigour.
Family history of thyroid and autoimmune diseaseHereditary sleep, cardiac, and mood disordersAssessing caregiving roles and burnout riskOccupational demands and environmental exposuresFinancial, housing, and food insecurity screeningLesson 10Temporal features: onset, duration, pattern, triggersCharacterise tiredness timeline: start, length, daily rhythm, sparks, and easing factors, to split short from long-term tiredness and spot hints of bugs, glands, or mind causes.
Clarifying acute, subacute, or chronic onsetDaily pattern and variability of fatigueIdentifying exertional and cognitive triggersRelieving factors and rest responseTemporal links to illness, stress, or events
