Oral

Family history and in particular family health history are important parts of the genetic medicine landscape. The general public recognizes that family history and health information are important to health as evident by a 2004 survey published in the magazine, Parade; the magazine noted that 96 percent of Americans believe that knowing their family health history is important. Yet, the same survey indicated that only one-third of Americans have ever tried to gather and write down their family's health history. There are many ways of capturing family health history. The gathering of family history is also important for health care professionals. The National Coalition for Health Providers Education in Genetics (NCHPEG) notes that family health history is an evolving record. Family health histories expand and mature through time as patients and families move through developmental life stages. By recording births and deaths, marriages, reproductive outcomes, and medical characteristics, the family health history becomes an invaluable resource for developing and maintaining patient-provider relationships. Engaging patients around questions of health from an individual, as well as a family perspective, provides a broader foundation on which to build a relationship

Session Objectives: Session Objectives: at the end of the session participants will a. Recognize options for customization of a family health history tool b. Understand the concept of using oral traditions as one way of capturing appropriate health information c. Describe concerns of families and other stakeholders in regards to health history information.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing