prepare for your visit
During your first visit with one of our genetic specialists, they may ask questions about medical conditions that run in your family, including birth defects, developmental delays, autism, cancer, cardiovascular disease and more. Before your visit, reach out to family members to collect information about your family health history. While collecting this history, please respect your family’s privacy – some individuals may not be comfortable sharing.
health information to collect:
- Important diagnoses as a child and as an adult
- Name of condition(s)
- Age of diagnosis
- Any cancer history
- Cardiovascular disorders
- Any health conditions present in multiple relatives across generations
- Age of onset
other information to collect:
- Age, if deceased, age and cause of death
- Ethnicity, race
- Lifestyle & environmental factors
- Exposures that may have increased risk
Family health history can be stored as a list. To help record this information use the CDC’s My family health portrait tool.