"Hello, I’m [Your Name], one of the doctors/nurses. I understand you've come in today to discuss some symptoms you've been having that might be related to your heart. Is that right?"
"Before we go any further, what are your thoughts about what might be causing these symptoms, or what they might mean?"
"And is there anything in particular that you're worried about, or anything you were hoping we could achieve during our conversation today?"
"Could you please tell me more about your main symptom? For example, if it's chest pain, where exactly is it? Can you point to it?"
"When did this symptom first start, and did it come on suddenly or gradually?"
"How would you describe the symptom? For chest pain, is it a dull ache, a sharp stabbing pain, a pressure, or a tightness? For breathlessness, is it mild or severe, and does it come on with exertion or at rest?"
"Does the symptom spread anywhere else? For chest pain, does it go to your arm, neck, jaw, or back?"
"Have you noticed any other symptoms happening at the same time? For example, with chest pain, do you also get breathlessness, sweating, or nausea?"
"How has the symptom changed over time? Is it constant, or does it come and go? How long does it typically last?"
"What makes the symptom better or worse? For example, does rest help, or does it get worse with activity? Do any medications help?"
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how severe is this symptom, and how has it been affecting your daily life?"
"Beyond your main symptom, have you experienced any other heart-related issues? For example, have you ever felt your heart racing or skipping beats (palpitations)? If so, how often and what do they feel like?"
"Have you ever fainted or felt like you were about to faint (syncope or pre-syncope)? If so, what were you doing when it happened, and did you have any warning signs?"
"Have you noticed any swelling in your legs or ankles (oedema)? Is it worse at certain times of the day, and does pressing on it leave a dent?"
"Do you get pain in your legs when you walk that goes away with rest (intermittent claudication)? If so, how far can you walk before it starts, and how quickly does it go away?"
"Do you have any existing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or a history of heart attacks or strokes?"
"Have you ever had any operations or procedures related to your heart, such as a bypass surgery, stents inserted, or a heart valve replacement? Or any other significant surgeries?"
"Are you currently taking any medications, including anything prescribed by a doctor, or any over-the-counter medicines, supplements, or herbal remedies? This includes any medications for your heart, blood pressure, or cholesterol."
"Do you have any allergies to medications or anything else? If so, what kind of reaction did you have?"
"Does anyone in your close family – like your parents, siblings, or children – have a history of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, or sudden cardiac death? If so, how old were they when they were diagnosed?"
"Could you tell me a little about your living situation and who you live with? Do you have a good support network around you? Are you able to manage all your daily activities?"
"What kind of work do you do? Have your symptoms affected your ability to work, or your ability to drive or operate heavy machinery?"
"Do you smoke, and if so, how much and for how long? Have you ever tried to quit?"
"How much alcohol do you drink in a week?"
"Do you use any recreational drugs?"
"What's your typical diet like, and how often do you exercise?"
"Thank you very much for sharing all of that information with me. Just to summarise, you've been experiencing [recap key symptoms], which started [onset] and are often [character/timing]. You've also mentioned [recap relevant PMH/DH/FH/SH]."
"Does that sound like an accurate summary? Is there anything else you feel is important that we haven't covered?"
"Based on what you've told me, the next steps would be for me to perform a physical examination of your heart and lungs, and then we would likely arrange for some investigations, such as an ECG (heart tracing), blood tests, or potentially an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to understand what's causing your symptoms."
"Do you have any questions for me at this stage?"
"Thank you for your time."