Health problems in your family's past are the best clues to future risks.
Start with yourself and your closest family members (your parents, your brothers and sisters, your partner, and your children).
Every family is unique. Use the information that is available to you. Keep in mind that family trees often are complicated, and health information may be hard to find or incomplete.
Create common goals to bring your family closer together. Be sure to respect your family’s feelings and privacy.
Be as organized as possible.
The information you collect is important. Sharing information among family members can help everyone take the first step toward a healthier future!
Tools available to help you collect your own Family Health History.
The Does It Run in the Family? booklets were developed by the Genetic Alliance. The booklets were customized for the Heredity Project as part of the Community Centered Family Health History project.
Click here to download Booklet 1, “A Guide to Family Health History”. This booklet will give you some background information and guide you through the steps of collecting your own family health history.
There are many other family health history tools available, and some can be completed online. For more information as well as additional tools see the U.S. Surgeon General’s "My Family Health Portrait" or the CDC, Family History Resources.
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