Final answer:
The section of a patient's history covering several aspects of the current problem is called the history of present illness (HPI) or symptom analysis. It is essential for diagnosis and includes the use of tools like the Wong-Baker Faces pain-rating scale to quantify symptoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The section of a patient's history that addresses the severity, duration, frequency, progression, trigger situations, time of day, and character of the problem is referred to as the history of present illness (HPI) or sometimes the symptom analysis. This part of the clinical history is critical for understanding the patient's experience and forming a differential diagnosis. The HPI gives health care providers a detailed narrative about the symptoms and other relevant factors that could contribute to diagnosing the condition. Tools like the Wong-Baker Faces pain-rating scale help in quantifying the severity of symptoms such as pain. Moreover, considerations about the disease stage are also important, particularly the period during which the patient starts to exhibit general signs and symptoms, signaling the onset of the disease.