Quality – Quality is a description of the sign or symptom. Words such as sharp, dull, stabbing, loose, hard, and throbbing, etc., are often used to describe the quality of a sign or symptom.

What does HPI stand for?

History of present illness (HPI)

What are examples of HPI?

Here’s an example of a brief HPI: “Patient has an intense [ severity], throbbing [ quality] pain in the neck [ location].” Add duration to the mix, and you now have an extended HPI: “Patient has had an intense, throbbing pain in the neck since yesterday.”