Which term refers to the practice of documenting a patient's symptoms and medical history?

The term that specifically refers to the practice of documenting a patient's symptoms and medical history is documentation. This process is crucial in healthcare, as it creates a comprehensive record of the patient’s health status and any pertinent details that may affect their care and treatment. Proper documentation ensures continuity of care, allows for accurate communication among healthcare team members, and serves as a legal record of the patient's health and treatment.

While assessment involves gathering information about a patient’s condition, it is not limited to just documentation; it encompasses the interpretation of various data to understand the patient’s health status. Diagnosis is the identification of a specific condition or disease based on the symptoms and history documented, while evaluation refers to the process of analyzing the effectiveness of care or interventions over time. Each of these terms relates to patient care, but documentation is the one that directly pertains to recording patient information.