Anamnesis

Anamnesis is a term that can be used in a few different conceptual ways. Broadly anamnesis means remembrance or recollection. In the philosophical theories of Plato it is the recollection of knowledge from past lives. It is the remembrance of things we learned and experienced in a previous incarnation. In medical terminology anamnesis is the patient's medical history by their own recollection (or someone close to them, like a parent). It is the case history of the patient that is typically gathered by questions from a medical professional or a questionnaire. You have most likely given someone your anamnesis at some point in your lifetime - either by filling out forms or being asked questions by a doctor or nurse before an examination.