Family History Collection and Risk Assessment

Family history risk assessment is a free, simple genetic "test" that can help identify individuals who would benefit from increased screening or prevention practices. Collecting sufficient family history information is the first step in risk assessment. Most patient intake forms do not collect specific enough information about the conditions in the family to allow you to assess risk appropriately. It is important to ask additional questions about any relatives who have been diagnosed with health conditions to assess the potential for underlying genetic risk. After collecting information about personal and family history, family history analysis includes identifying red flags, looking for patterns in the family history, and stratifying risk. See the resources and courses below for more information about family history collection and risk assessment. 

Clinical Resources

Family History Collection Tips & Tools. Provides tips, resources, and tools for family history collection in clinical practice.

Family History Questionnaire. A collection form for medical family history data that can be printed and used in clinical practice.

Pedigree Tool. A template to record a pedigree with standard pedigree nomenclature.

Inheritance Patterns Factsheet. Outlines common inheritance patterns of conditions with an underlying genetic component.

Cancer Risk Assessment Tool. Helps identify red flags and stratify cancer risk based on family history.

Genetically Related Cancers Tool. Lists the associated cancers and unique characteristics of common cancer susceptibility genes.

Communicating Risk Factsheet. Outlines key points to consider when communicating risk to patients.

Components of a Cancer Genetic Counseling Session Factsheet. Discusses the core components of a cancer genetic counseling session.

Accessing Genetic Services Tool. Lists tools and websites to help find genetics professionals and provides patient talking points about referring to genetics.

Cancer Genetic Services in Maine and Connecticut Tool. Lists available cancer genetic services in Maine and Connecticut.

Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues

GINA Discussion Guide. Provides talking points and key information about genetic discrimination and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which protects individuals from the misuse of genetic information in health insurance and employment.

Educational Resources

Core Principles in Family History. Identifies core principles in the collection and interpretation of a medical family history for all healthcare providers, developed by the National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics (NCHPEG).

The Value of Family History in Prenatal Care Practice Slide Set. Teaches about the value of family history in general prenatal care with case studies about family history collection and interpretation.

Online Courses

Free, self-directed programs for continuing education credit.

Collecting Family History

Practice asking the right questions to elicit enough information to assess family history disease risk and get tools to implement your skills.
Access CME Module | Access CNE Module

Identifying Red Flags and Patterns That Increase Risk 

Practice identifying risk factors in case scenarios and receive tools to help make this task easy to implement in your practice.
Access CME Module | Access CNE Module

Categorizing Cancer Risk 

Analyze family histories and classify patients' risk into average, increased (moderate), or high risk for cancer.
Access CME Module | Access CNE Module

Using Family History to Inform Management

Practice determining appropriate management based on family history risk stratification.
Access CME Module | Access CNE Module

Genetic Testing for Breast Cancer Risk

Practice evaluating how well a particular genetic test assesses breast cancer risk and the potential impact of testing on patient outcomes.
Access CME Module | Access CNE Module

Genetic Testing for Colorectal Cancer Risk

Practice evaluating the fit between a patient's history and a particular genetic test for hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes.
Access CME Module | Access CNE Module

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