Which term describes asking questions that require more than a yes/no answer to encourage patient elaboration?

Which term describes asking questions that require more than a yes/no answer to encourage patient elaboration?

• A. Leading questions
• B. Open-ended questions
• C. Closed-ended questions
• D. Probing questions

Answer: (B)

The concept being tested is using questions that invite the patient to provide detailed information rather than just a yes or no. Open-ended questions encourage the patient to describe symptoms, feelings, and circumstances in their own words, often starting with what, how, where, when, why, or a prompt like “Tell me about….” This approach yields richer, more nuanced data and helps build rapport, making it easier to understand the patient’s needs. By contrast, leading questions steer the patient toward a particular answer, and closed-ended questions limit responses to yes or no. Probing questions are useful follow-ups to seek clarification after an initial answer, but the hallmark of encouraging elaboration is the open-ended format.

The concept being tested is using questions that invite the patient to provide detailed information rather than just a yes or no. Open-ended questions encourage the patient to describe symptoms, feelings, and circumstances in their own words, often starting with what, how, where, when, why, or a prompt like “Tell me about….” This approach yields richer, more nuanced data and helps build rapport, making it easier to understand the patient’s needs. By contrast, leading questions steer the patient toward a particular answer, and closed-ended questions limit responses to yes or no. Probing questions are useful follow-ups to seek clarification after an initial answer, but the hallmark of encouraging elaboration is the open-ended format.