A patient has just been diagnosed with breast cancer and you are spending time with her. In assessing this patient's ability to cope with this diagnosis, what would be an appropriate question for you to ask this patient?
A) What is her level of education?
B) What coping mechanisms have not helped her in the past?
C) Is there someone she trusts to assist her in making treatment choices?
D) Is she concerned about this diagnosis?
Ans: C
Feedback: The health history is a valuable tool to assess the patient's reaction to the diagnosis and her ability to cope with it. Pertinent questions include the following: How is the patient responding to the diagnosis? What coping mechanisms does she find most helpful? What psychological or emotional supports does she have and use? Is there a partner, family member, or friend available to assist her in making treatment choices? What are her educational needs? Is she experiencing any discomfort? There would be no need to ask the patient's level of education, or to know what coping mechanisms didn't work in the past. Asking whether or not the patient is concerned about the diagnosis is not appropriate; 99.9% of women are concerned about a diagnosis of cancer.
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