What term refers to a condition described by the patient?

The term that refers to a condition described by the patient is "symptom." A symptom is essentially the subjective experience that a patient reports, which cannot be directly observed or measured by an external party. For example, if a patient expresses feelings of nausea, pain, or fatigue, these are symptoms because they are internal experiences that are recognized and communicated by the patient.

Understanding symptoms is key in medical assessments, as they provide valuable information about the patient's condition and help guide further evaluation and treatment. This differentiates them from signs, which are objective findings that can be observed or measured by a healthcare professional, such as a rash or elevated blood pressure. History refers to the comprehensive account of the patient's past medical issues and events rather than a single condition, while syndrome denotes a collection of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a specific condition, rather than being a condition described solely by the patient.