A Health and Physical (i.e., “H&P”) examination is commonly considered a universal medical procedure performed as part of most face-to-face heath care encounters in which medical practitioners interview and examine patients for any medical signs and symptoms of medical conditions.1234 Even as telemedicine encounters become common and accepted, almost everyone invariably at some point must meet face-to-face with a medical practitioner for an H&P.567 This examination typically includes a series of questions regarding patients’ medical histories, followed by tactically-based examinations on reported symptoms.189 The aim naturally is to preliminarily rule-out a diagnosis, order more definitive objective/empirical tests, and formulate a treatment plan.910 Substantial research supports the contention that patients universally expect these examinations; these examinations are variously depicted as a necessary ritual that plays a vital and substantial role in fostering the medical practitioner- patient relationship, which improves subsequent medical encounters.111213 When these examinations are not performed, patients may feel the validity of their illness and treatment are insufficient and slighted, which then mars the medical practitioner-patient relationship.11131415

The H&P may involve standard tests (e.g., vital signs such as temperature, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure etc.).16 It also involves the medical practitioner using various senses, especially hearing and particularly touch, starting at the head of the patient and ending at the toes.9,16,17 Medical practitioners examine patients visually and tactically through inspection, palpation, percussion, auscultation, and even manipulation such as shaking.17,18 During touching, there is ample opportunity for verbal communication between medical practitioners and patients.9161920 Notably, whereas in some contexts touching is prohibited and taboo, in the context of an authoritative H&P, medical practitioners’ legitimate and acceptable touching is expected and encouraged.11,12,13,14,15,17 Indeed, during this process, beneficial health promotion messages can be delivered subtly to patients to powerfully improve their treatment compliance and outcomes.21 This is because the messages are delivered in a particular manner and simultaneously combined with touch in a legitimate, authoritative medical encounter.21,22,23

The purpose of this commentary / review is to advance the notion of deploying subtle beneficial health improvement messages, accompanied by appropriate touching, during the portion of H&Ps that involve medical practitioner’s touching assessments. This is done in order to augment more formal and even written health instructions, and thus to achieve beneficial outcomes for patients. These may include a strengthened therapeutic medical practitioner- patient alliance.