A retrospective audit of family history records in short-stay medical admissions
Langlands, A.R.; Prentice, D.A.; Ravine, D.
Medical Journal of Australia 192(12): 682-684
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-729X PMID: 20565344 Document Number: 638093
To retrospectively review the frequency and adequacy of family histories recorded from patients admitted to a short-stay medical unit in a tertiary teaching hospital. A formal audit of the medical records of 300 randomly selected patients who were admitted to the Royal Perth Hospital short-stay medical unit between July and December 2007. Proportion of patient records with family history documents. Of the 300 patient records, 48 (16.0%) contained a family history with specific details about the presence or absence of a medical condition in at least one relative. Overall, 221 records (73.7%) had no family history documented. There was a trend towards more frequent and detailed family histories being recorded from younger patients and those presenting with chest pain. Family history was seldom documented in patients admitted to a short-stay medical unit in a tertiary teaching hospital. An increased focus on family history taking among acutely ill patients offers potential health gains for patients and their high-risk relatives, particularly as preventive or risk-reducing health care strategies are emerging for a growing number of heritable disorders.