The development of an electronic Family History Tool for Australian general practice
Introduction: Previous international studies have demonstrated the potential for computer support to improve the management of familial cancer in general practice. We report the development of an electronic Family History Tool (FHT) for Australian general practice.
Methods: The Australian FHT will be based on the GRAIDS software which is a simple pedigree drawing programme that implements clinical guidelines for familial disease. To inform the development of the FHT we conducted electronic searches to identify relevant national clinical guidelines for implementation into the tool. In addition we applied the following previously published criteria to select conditions for inclusion in the tool: the disease represents a substantial public health burden for which family history is a risk factor; there are effective interventions for primary and secondary prevention.
Results: We identified relevant guidelines from the NHMRC, Australian Cancer Network and the RACGP. The following conditions met inclusion criteria: breast and ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and fragile X syndrome. We will present the prototype Australian FHT and discuss proposals for dissemination and evaluation of the tool. Additional conditions that may be included in the FHT in the future are: hereditary haemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, haemoglobinopathies, Tay-Sachs disease and thrombophilia.
Conclusions: The Australian FHT has the potential to significantly improve the management of common familial conditions in general practice and play an important role in the delivery of preventive health care.