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Welcome to the Public Health Perspective Series, the Office of Genomics and Disease Prevention's highlights page. Common chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes are health problems that affect large proportions of the U.S. population and are among the most common causes of death. A positive family history has long been recognized as a risk factor for many of these conditions. This familial clustering reflects the contributions of shared genes, common behaviors and shared environments. |
Can identifying families that have aggregations of chronic diseases be used to improve the health of at-risk family members and also of the population as a whole? Might this well-established observation be used as a tool for risk assessment, health promotion, and disease prevention? This Public Health Perspective contains information and resources for public health professionals about the potential for using family history as a tool for improving health and preventing or delaying the onset of common, chronic diseases.
Medical Family Trees Increasingly Valuable
"Donna Russo, coordinator of the cancer genetics program at New York-Presbyterian Hospital's Columbia campus, said, 'The family tree has become the most important genetic test of all. The more you know, the more tools you have to practice preventive medicine.'" |
Washington Post
February 26, 2002 |
"Genes draw your road map, but you still chart your course. .
And a genetic predisposition is just that: it is not destiny but rather a tendency that can be encouraged or discouraged to express itself by how we live our lives." |
Jane E. Brody
New York Times
February 25, 2002 |
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Public Health Perspective Menu
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The Public Health Perspective |
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The Public Health Initiative |
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Case Studies |
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Family History as a Tool for Public Health and Preventive Medicine Workshop |
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Materials and abstracts from a workshop sponsored by OGDP in May 2002. Includes a draft family history tool for collecting information on common, chronic diseases and information about how family history affects the risk for chronic diseases. |
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Publications and Family History Meeting Overview |
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- Research Priorities for Evaluating Family History in the Prevention of Common Chronic Diseases
Yoon PW, Scheuner MT, Khoury MJ.
Am J Prev Med 2003 Feb;24(2):128-35
- Family History Assessment: Strategies for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease
Hunt SC, Gwinn M, Adams TD.
Am J Prev Med 2003 Feb;24(2):136-42
- Using Decision Analytic Methods to Assess the Utility of Family History Tools
Tyagi A and Morris J.
Am J Prev Med 2003 Feb;24(2):199-207
- Family History as a Predictor of Asthma Risk
Burke W, et al .
Am J Prev Med 2003 Feb;24(2):160-9
- Family-centered Approaches to Understanding and Preventing Coronary Heart Disease
Kardia SL, et al.
Am J Prev Med 2003 Feb;24(2):143-51
- Family History of Diabetes as a Potential Public Health Tool
Harrison TA, et al .
Am J Prev Med 2003 Feb;24(2):152-9
- Family History of Colon Cancer: What Does it Mean and How is it Useful?
Keku TO, et al.
Am J Prev Med 2003 Feb;24(2):170-6
- Achieving Utility with Family History: Colorectal Cancer Risk
Bowen DJ, et al.
Am J Prev Med 2003 Feb;24(2):177-82
- Effecting Behavior Change: Awareness of Family History
Audrain-McGovern J, et al.
Am J Prev Med 2003 Feb;24(2):183-9
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Model Family History Program |
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Ethical Issues and Family History |
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Family History Resources on the Web |
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- Genetic Family History Resources
Spring issue of The Genetic Family History in Practice newsletter for health care professionals from NCHPEG's Family History Working
- Building and Understanding Your Medical Family History
From t he Cancer Genetics Program at the Comprehensive Cancer Center Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute:
This site provides information on assessing risk factors for cancer, a family history worksheet, detailed instructions on information to collect from family members, a guide for interpreting information, and next steps if familial risk factors are identified.
- The Importance of Gathering a Family History
From the American Medical Association :
This site provides detailed tools for gathering family history in the context of prenatal, pediatric and adult care situations.
- Family Health and Medical Record
From the Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University System:
This site provides a tabular format to record medical information, including a form for "Your Family Health History".
- Building a Healthier You! WebQuest
Scott Dulohery, Susan B. Anthony Middle School, Manhattan, KS
This site provides an approach to using family history and other risk factors to develop a prevention plan for better health and longer life. A form for collecting family history is provided. Several of the resource links are outdated.
- Fox Valley Family Physicians Family History Form
This site provides a form that includes information on family history on some chronic diseases and information on first-degree relatives.
- GenePro Software
This is a computer program for genealogy. It c an be adapted (per manufacturer) for medical genealogy.
- The free version is same as the purchased version, but includes advertisements. However the purchased version has more prompt technical support and includes free upgrades for five years.
- Family History Medical Questionnaire
From the State of Wisconsin, Circuit Court:
This is a form for collecting family history data in a detailed, tabular format. Information requested is very specific.
- Medical History Form
From the McKinley Health Center, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL :
This site includes information on family history of first-degree relatives. Information includes causes of death and checklist for chronic diseases.
- NWTSG Late Effects Study Family and Medical History Form
From the National Wilms Tumor Study Group, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA :
This is a form to collect medical history on first-degree relatives.
- Discovering Your Family's Medical History
Dorothy M. Davis Health and Lung Research Institute, Ohio State University Medical Center:
This site p rovides information on how to collect family health information and a pedigree form to complete or to use as a model.
- Genetic and Medical History of Child and Biological Family
From the State of Oregon, State Offices for Services to Children and Families, Department of Human Services:
This form is used in adoptions. It collects extensive information on medical and family history of birth family, including history on birth defects, developmental disabilities, chronic disease, physical features and personality traits and interests .
- Lifelinks International
This is s oftware for collecting family medical history.
"LIFELINKS © Software records medical genealogical information of your ancestors and living relatives. It tracks diseases in your family heritage, which is helpful for existing and future generations of your family lines."
Software can be downloaded freely and a donation is solicited for this non-profit organization to cover costs and software upgrades.
- MEDPED and IHCF
From the Familial Hypercholesterolemia and Inherited High Cholesterol Project. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT:
This site is a survey research project and a non-profit organization funded to register and help people with inherited cholesterol disorders, such as Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH). The goal is to find persons with FH that are either undiagnosed or inadequately treated.
- Family Medical History
From the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center:
"Knowing your family's medical past can help you prepare for your own medical future..." This site provides a form and instructions for collecting family history information.
- Mactopia Tools on the Web Template Gallery
This site has a family history form that collects family history on chronic diseases and causes of death in a tabular format.
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Family History in Public Health and Preventive Medicine |
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A presentation that describes the process and research agenda for developing a useful family history tool to prevent chronic diseases. |
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Reader's Forum |
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The Reader's Forum is an opportunity to share your thoughts about Family History as a Tool for Public Health and Preventive Medicine: A Public Health Perspective. Please participate by sending us your comments on this or any in our series of Public Health Perspectives.
 Reader's comments
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