Health assessment involves gathering information about a patient's physiological, sociological, and spiritual status through collecting a health history and performing a physical examination. It aims to identify any problems, determine the cause and extent of disease, and plan appropriate treatment. The process involves collecting subjective data from the patient and objective data through observations. A physical examination utilizes techniques like inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation to collect objective health information.

1. ADWIKA INSTITUTE OF NURSING
COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT
2ND YEAR BSC(N)
REPRESENTED BY MD MEHBUB ALAM

2. CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• DEFINITION
• PURPOSES OF HEALTH ASSESSMENT
• PROCESS OR STEPS
• HEALTH HISTORY
• PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
• SUMMARY
• CONCLUSION

3. INTRODUCTION
Health assessment is the gathering of information about a patient’s
physiological, sociological and spiritual status for diagnosed actual problem
of the patient by the help of health history and physical examination.

4. DEFINITION
HEALTH ASSESSMENT IS GATHERING OF INFORMATION ABOUT A
PATIENT’S PHYSIOLOGICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL STATUS.
• DATA COLLECTION:-
There are two types of data collection-
a) Subjective data:-
collecting information from the patient called subject data.
b) Objective data:-
collecting information from the patient through observations.

5. PURPOSES OF HEALTH ASSESSMENT
• Collect data about physical, mental and social well-being of the client.
• To identify the problems in early stage.
• To determine the cause and extend of disease.
• To evaluate or monitor the changes in client’s health status.
• To determine the nature of treatment required for client.
• To certify whether client is medically fit to resume duties.
• To contribute in medical research.

6. PROCESS OF HEALTH ASSESSMENT
DEFINITIONOF HEALTH HISTORY:
It is a collection of subjective data regarding
client’s health in a chronological order.
* To gather of subjective data from client.
*To develope nursing diagnosis.
* To plan action for promoting health,preventing
disease and minimise chronic health problems.
PPURPOSE OF HEALTH HISTORY:

7. FORMAT OF HEALTH HISTORY
• Biographic data
• Chief complaints
• History of present illness
• Past health history
• Occupational and environmental history
• Physiological history
• Review of syatem

8. COMPONENTS OF HISTORY
• Personal and social history
• Family history
• Past medical history
• Present illness
• Chief complaint

9. FAMILY HISTORY
• Type of family.
• Number of members in the family.
• Any significant illness in the family.
• Health history of the family.
PAST MEDICAL HISTORY:-
*Any illness in the past
*Immunization
*Medical illness
*Surgical illness
*Present illness

10. CHIEF COMPLAINTS*
Present complaint
*Onset , duration
*Medication

11. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
DEFINITION:
Physical exanimation is an important compoment of health assessment .
It provides objective data for identifying problems and making diagnosis.
• GOALS OF PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:
* To collect valid information regarding client’s health.
* To identify client’s problems.
* To plan nursing action appropriately.
* To compare client’s current health status with ideal health status.

12. TECHNIQUES OF PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
• INSPECTION
• PALPATION
• PERCUSSION
• ASCULTATION

13. INSPECTION
• It is a visual examinal of the body.
• It involves the observation of client’s general appearance,body size,shape.
• Observation includindes:-
-colour texture,posture, mobility, nutritional status.
-State of consciousness
-Personal grooming
-Expresion and body build.

14. PALPATION
• Palpation is the touching sensation to felt the
texture,size,shape and location of organ.
• There are two types of palpation are –
i) Gentle palpation:-Attained by pressing 1 cm in depth
for assessing skin,pulse palpation and tenderness.
ii) Deep palpation:-Which involves use of both hands to press
4 cm in depth to determine organ size and contour .
Deep palpation is done to examine deep organ.

15. PERCUSSION
• In simple word it is tapping.
• It involves striking fingers against client’s body to get sound quality.
• It is used to dermine position ,size and shape of internal
organs as well as to detect fluid filled organ.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PERCUSSION:
1) Direct percussion:-
Directly strike a specific part of the body by using fingertip.
2) Indirect percussion:-
It is performed by using non dominant hand’s palm down, fingers
together and gently strike fingers of non dominant hand.

16. ASCULTATION
• It involves listening the sound within body either by ears or by
stethoscope.
• CHARACERISTICS:
*Intensity – loud , medium & soft.
*Pitch – low , medium, high.
*Duration – short, medium, longer
*Quality – hollow, dull, dum like.

17. SUMMARY
Health assessment is plan of care that identifies the specific needs of a
person and how those needs will be addressed by the health care system
skilled nursing facility.Health assessment is the evaluation of the health
status by performing a physical examination after taking health history.

18. CONCLUSION
In a conclusion comprehensive health assessment involves assessment from
head to toe while a specific assessment is problem oriented.The specific
assessment is carried out when the patient’s cndition is not favourable for a
comprehensive health assessment.