In your role as the nurse at a genetics clinic, you are reviewing the health and genetic history of a woman whose mother died of breast cancer. Which of the following is the most important factor documented in the patients genetic history?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A well-documented family history is a tool used by the health care team to make a diagnosis, identify teaching strategies, and establish a pattern of inheritance. The family history should include at least three generations, as well as information about the current and past health status of all family members, including the age of onset of any illnesses and cause of death and age at death. Information on current medications and immunizations are important factors to be gathered in the health history, but are not part of the genetic history. It is not sufficient to just identify illnesses in the patients children.

In Your Role as the Nurse at a Genetics Clinic