Most medical diagnoses are made from the physical history alone. In the psychiatric literature, physical assessment usually focuses on examination rather than history. We aimed to ascertain the relative importance that trainee psychiatrists attach to the physical history and examination, and to investigate their actual method of physical assessment. The relative weight that trainees attach to physical history and examination was assessed with a postal questionnaire. Their actual practice was evaluated by reviewing a selection of case notes from patients under their care.

Trainees weighted the physical examination as more important than the history in theoretical terms (P=0.02). They also indicated that they attached more importance to examination in their own practice (P=0.03). On review of the case notes, 34 (71%) of inpatients had been physically examined, but only one (2%) had evidence of a physical history.

It appears that many psychiatric trainees do not adhere to the basic medical principle of taking a physical history on which to base a physical examination. ‘Blind’ examinations are unlikely to yield medical diagnoses. These findings have implications for our patients' health and psychiatric training.