Which term describes information provided by the patient about their symptoms?

Which term describes information provided by the patient about their symptoms?

• A. Objective
• B. Verbal communication
• C. Pathogen
• D. Subjective

Answer: (D)

Subjective information refers to details the patient reports about their symptoms. This is based on the patient’s own experience—pain level, location, quality, onset, duration, and what makes it better or worse—so it cannot be measured directly by the clinician. In contrast, objective data are observable and measurable signs, like fever, blood pressure, or a rash. Verbal communication describes how the information is shared, not the type of data itself; a pathogen is a microorganism and not a data category.

Subjective information refers to details the patient reports about their symptoms. This is based on the patient’s own experience—pain level, location, quality, onset, duration, and what makes it better or worse—so it cannot be measured directly by the clinician. In contrast, objective data are observable and measurable signs, like fever, blood pressure, or a rash. Verbal communication describes how the information is shared, not the type of data itself; a pathogen is a microorganism and not a data category.