Reinvigorating Family Health History in the Era of Genomics

Family health history has been a key component of assessing the genetic risk for individuals and families for decades. As tools to measure this risk have become more sophisticated, family health history remains relevant, helping clinicians interpret results from both clinical and direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Despite this, family history collection and integration into electronic medical records remains suboptimal, which constrains clinicians’ ability to use family history information to inform clinical care and public health’s efforts to track family history and its effects on health outcomes. Internationally, countries with limited resources can use mobile and other technologies to improve family health history collection and use.

This seminar will address current efforts to improve data collection on family health history from consumers and clinicians and how this information can be added to electronic medical records. Speakers will discuss how public health can address the growing need for guidance as clinicians and consumers struggle with how to implement genomics into clinical care and highlight international family health history efforts.