title: General physicians do not take adequate travel histories.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our aim was to document how often travel histories were taken and the quality of their content.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients admitted over 2 months to acute medical units of two hospitals in the Northwest of England with a history of fever, rash, diarrhea, vomiting, jaundice, or presenting as "unwell post-travel" were identified. The initial medical clerking was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 132 relevant admissions were identified. A travel history was documented in only 26 patients (19.7%). Of the 16 patients who had traveled, there was no documentation of pretravel advice or of sexual/other activities abroad in 15 (93.8%) and 12 (75.0%) patients, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There needs to be better awareness and education about travel-related illness and the importance of taking an adequate travel history.
authors: Acute Medical Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
authors: Victoria A
authors: VA
authors: Price
authors: Rachel A S
authors: RA
authors: Smith
authors: Sam
authors: S
authors: Douthwaite
authors: Sherine
authors: S
authors: Thomas
authors: D Solomon
authors: DS
authors: Almond
authors: Alastair R O
authors: AR
authors: Miller
authors: Nicholas J
authors: NJ
authors: Beeching
authors: Gail
authors: G
authors: Thompson
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Ustianowski
authors: Mike B J
authors: MB
authors: Beadsworth
mesh_terms: D004739:England; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000523:psychology / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014195:Travel