Prompting Primary Care Providers about Increased Patient Risk As a Result of Family History: Does It Work?

 Blogger's Note: study included history of colorectal cancer (eg. Lynch Syndrome)


PDF open access/abstract

Conclusion
We found that prompting academic family physicians
about patients with family histories showing
risk for 6 common conditions did not seem to
increase the identification or screening of these
patients. Other experts reached a similar conclusion
after examining and debating the value of
family history.11 One study did show that automated
collection of family history can identify
more patients at risk for heart disease, but it did not
go on to demonstrate improved patient care outcomes
from the availability of such information.47
More studies that examine the clinical utility of
family history, including the best way to engage
PCPs in using this information are needed before
we begin to use automated prompts and alerts for
high-risk family histories.