Patient interview

How to take a travel history

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPANursing (NCLEX)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Fever after travel can be malaria or other infections that need fast treatment. Ask every febrile patient where they have been.

Step by step

  1. Where and when

    Countries and regions, dates of travel and return. [1]

  2. Activities

    Rural or city, hiking, swimming in fresh water, caves, animals. [2]

  3. Food and water

    Street food, untreated water, raw food. [2]

  4. Insects and animals

    Mosquito bites, ticks, animal bites. [2]

  5. Sexual contacts and procedures

    New partners, tattoos, medical care abroad. [2]

  6. Prevention

    Pre-travel vaccines and malaria prevention taken correctly. [2]

  7. Summarize and act

    Malaria in fever after a malaria area is urgent. [1]

Common errors

Practice it in VMS

In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

VMS cases that train this skill

8 VMS cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
  2. NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
  3. NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations

Facts and steps follow NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations; NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs). VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.