Family History

Family History

A careful family health history may provide insight into the risk of inheriting specific diseases, shared environmental factors, and individual health concerns. The U.S. Surgeon General has made available a computerized tool to help make it easy for anyone to create a portrait of their family's health. Healthcare providers can provide this tool to patients and families to encourage them to gather and record their family health history.

• Family History Tool: My Family Health Portrait [familyhistory.hhs.gov]
  
  
• The U.S. Surgeon General's Family History Initiative
  
  
• Guidelines and Tools to Assess Family History of Common Diseases
  
  
• Centers for Disease Control Family History Resources and Tools [cdc.gov]
  
  
• Watch Family History Initiative: A Window on Your Patients' Health

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Last Reviewed: February 27, 2012