Which of the following is the correct sequence for history-taking strategies?

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Starting the encounter by opening the session builds rapport and sets the agenda, which makes the patient feel heard and ready to share. Then you gather information through open-ended questions and active listening to understand the patient’s story, symptoms, and concerns. Once you have a solid history, you perform the physical examination to gather objective data and correlate findings with what the patient has described. With the information from history and exam in hand, you explain your assessment and discuss the plan with the patient, ensuring shared decision-making and informed consent. Finally, you close the session by summarizing what was discussed, confirming the plan, and outlining follow-up or safety steps. Jumping straight to explaining and planning or to the exam without first collecting a thorough history disrupts the flow and can lead to missing important information or misaligned management.