"Does It Run In the Family?" Toolkit

Genetic Alliance partnered with a diverse group of communities to create tailored family health history tools. We believe that accessible tools produced by the community, for the community, will promote conversations about health within the family and translate knowledge of family health history into healthy choices. Read our complete list of goals and objectives.

The Customizable Online Toolkit is available for use by communities and families to create tailored versions of the Does It Run In the Family? toolkit. Choose photos, personal health stories, quotations, and health condition information from an online file library or enter your own, and download and print your customized toolkit.

The first round of community partners adapted the Does It Run In the Family? toolkit, disseminated it to community members, and evaluated whether the tool encourages healthy decision-making and collection of family health history. The second round of partners also customized and disseminated booklets, with an emphasis on integrating family health history into ongoing programs and initiatives.

Read the project monograph! “Collaboration Across Communities: How Do You Make Research Community-Specific and Universally-Relevant?” details the diverse approaches employed by community partners as well as overall strategies and lessons learned.

Does It Run In the Family? 

The Does It Run In the Family? template was created using feedback from all project partners and the National Advisory Committee. Click on the images to the left to download A Guide to Family Health History and A Guide to Genetics and Health. These booklets can also be customized like the booklets below at www.FamilyHealthHistory.org.

•  English (book 1) (book 2)
•  Spanish (book 1) (book 2)
•  Tagalog (book 1) (book 2)

Supplemental Materials

Communication is an important part of family health history. We’ve created optional supplemental materials that may help individuals talk with their family and healthcare provider.

 Healthcare Provider Card

Purpose: This card is for you to fill out and bring to your healthcare provider. One side of the card concentrates on concerns you have about your family health history. On the other side, there is information for your provider on how to best use your family history to determine your risk of getting a disease.
English version	Spanish version

 Questionnaire

Purpose: This questionnaire can be used to collect valuable health information from relatives without doing an interview. Paired with a family newsletter, this may be a quick and easy way to collect information. Remember that not everyone will feel comfortable sharing his or her information this way, so be sure to explain exactly what you are using the information for.

Customized Booklets

Additional Partners:

• American Folklife Center
• American Society of Human Genetics
• Health Resources Services Administration, DHHS
• National Alopecia Areata Foundation

Give us feedback!

This project was supported (in part) by cooperative agreement U33MC06836 with the Genetic Services Branch of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The content of this webpage is solely the responsibility of Genetic Alliance and does not necessarily represent the official views of HRSA.