Final answer:
Orientation is a term used in medicine to refer to a patient's awareness of their immediate circumstances, including time, place, and personal identity. Tests of orientation involve asking questions about the date, location, and name, and can also include questions about remote memory.
Step-by-step explanation:
Orientation is the patient's awareness of his or her immediate circumstances. It involves awareness of time, such as the date and current events. It also includes awareness of place, knowing where the patient is and why. Additionally, it encompasses personal identity recognition and being able to relate that to the examiner. The initial tests of orientation involve asking questions like 'Do you know what the date is?' or 'Do you know where you are?' or 'What is your name?'. Further understanding of a patient's orientation can be assessed by inquiring about remote memory, such as asking about the current President of the United States or events that happened on specific dates.