Title Details

Helps you develop and assess pedigrees to make diagnoses,evaluate risk, and counsel patients The Second Edition of The Practical Guide to the GeneticFamily History not only shows how to take a medical-familyhistory and record a pedigree, but also explains why each bit ofinformation gathered is important. It provides essential support indiagnosing conditions with a genetic component. Moreover, it aidsin recommending genetic testing, referring patients for geneticcounseling, determining patterns of inheritance, calculating riskof disease, making decisions for medical management andsurveillance, and informing and educating patients. Based on theauthor's twenty-five years as a genetic counselor, the book alsohelps readers deal with the psychological, social, cultural, andethical problems that arise in gathering a medical-family historyand sharing findings with patients. Featuring a new Foreword by Arno Motulsky, widely recognized asthe founder of medical genetics, and completely updated to reflectthe most recent findings in genetic medicine, this SecondEdition presents the latest information and methods forpreparing and assessing a pedigree, including: Value and utility of a thorough medical-family history Directed questions to ask when developing a medical-familyhistory for specific disease conditions Use of pedigrees to identify individuals with an increasedsusceptibility to cancer Verification of family medical information Special considerations when adoptions or gamete donors areinvolved Ethical issues that may arise in recording a pedigree Throughout the book, clinical examples based on hypotheticalfamilies illustrate key concepts, helping readers understand howreal issues present themselves and how they can be resolved. This book will enable all healthcare providers, includingphysicians, nurses, medical social workers, and physicianassistants, as well as genetic counselors, to take full advantageof the pedigree as a primary tool for making a genetic riskassessment and providing counseling for patients and theirfamilies.