Family Health History: The First Genetic Test in Precision Medicine.

Author information

1: Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, University of Washington Medical Center, Box 357720, 1959 Northeast Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195-7720, USA. Electronic address: robinb@uw.edu.

Abstract

The collection of family history has always been a tool for genetic evaluation, but it remains an essential tool even in the age of genomic medicine. Patients may have a risk for a disease based on family history regardless of the results of genetic and genomic tests. How this information is collected is less important than that relevant information is collected in the first place. There are many tools for collecting medical and family history information both by hand and electronically. Genetic and genomic testing should always be interpreted in the context of the personal and family history.