In a clinical assessment, what does 'objective' refer to?

• A. What the patient reports
• B. What the clinician suspects
• C. What is measured in a lab test
• D. Observable

Answer: (D)

Objective data are information that can be observed, measured, or verified about a patient—things like vital signs, physical exam findings, and lab results. This makes them independent of how the patient feels or what they report, which is why they contrast with subjective data. The word “observable” directly signals data that can be seen or measured by someone other than the patient, which is the essence of objective in clinical assessment. While lab results are objective, the key idea is the ability to observe or quantify rather than rely on patient description or a clinician’s guess.