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Online Tool Stores Family Health Tree

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@tampatrib.com

Published: February 7, 2009

Most family health history is little more than a story shared over time.

However, a written record can be a far more effective way to share your health information with relatives, physicians and other caregivers.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently updated its free online health history tool called My Family Health Portrait ( www.familyhistory.hhs.gov).

The tool - designed so consumers can create a family health tree - takes about 15-20 minutes to complete and can be easily updated or amended.

The personal information entered is not kept by the government on its Web site. Instead, consumers store the data on personal computers. Electronic forms of the data can then be shared with relatives or doctors as the consumer wishes.

The family health portrait program is being endorsed by organizations such as cancer advocacy group the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

"A strong family health history tool can be an important element for guiding medical decision-making, especially in the area of cancer screening, prevention and early detection," LAF founder and chairman Lance Armstrong says in a statement.

"This tool will further the capabilities of electronic health records and takes a significant step toward improving clinical care."

A staff report

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