Assessment Made Incredibly Easy, 4th Edition

I love writing this blog because I learn so much, whether it is from the research conducted or from comments and links that readers share here.  Today’s post comes courtesy of Exile1981, who emailed me a link to a medical text two weeks ago.  (He also noted that has has several books in the Incredibly Easy series and that the one on wound care is particularly helpful.  I haven’t yet been able to locate a free download for any of the other titles.)  I’ve been swamped with the garden and preserving the harvest, so I didn’t get around to looking at it until yesterday. 

As the title suggests, Assessment Made Incredibly Easy, 4^th Edition, addresses how to assess a patient, and it really is easy with its conversational tone and short snippets that let you absorb the information in small doses.

It begins with the health history, physical assessment techniques, and nutritional and mental health assessments and then moves on to assessing the various body systems.   Throughout each section are specific questions to ask the patient as well as suggestions on how to ask the questions so as to make the patient feel comfortable and better elicit helpful information. 

As patients are individuals with unique needs and concerns, this manual also includes information on various cultural differences and how to work around them so as to be sensitive to the patient and yet be able to treat effectively.  Differences in how diseases present in infants, children, and the elderly are also addressed. 

To check your progress and memory retention, quizzes are provided at the end of each chapter (with the answers right there—no flipping to the back or turning the page upside down to read the solutions). 

In short, it simplifies the process of assessing a patient by breaking it down into easy to remember steps without medical jargon.  While written for nursing and paramedic students, it’s ideal for a layperson to refer to when there is no doctor.   It also suggests possible causes for problems identified. 

The 4^th edition, published in 2008, was written by several contributing authors.  It’s a free download (ok, so there's a problem.  The click here I originally posted doesn't work.  I've reached out to Exile1981 to see if he can post his link in the comments below.  I also found some sketchy sites that have it.  More info in the comments below.) available in black and white or color and is just over 400 pages.  There is no rating on Amazon for it. 

The 5^th edition has 4.6 stars on Amazon and runs about $48. 

Links to related posts:

Armageddon Medicine, by Dr. Cynthia Koelker
Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition  
The Ship's Medicine Chest and Medical Aid at Sea
The Survival Medicine Handbook, by Dr. Joe Alton and Amy Alton
When There Is No Doctor

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