Why You Need To Know More About Your Family’s Medical History
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Sometimes information is missing
“Another reason people may not know parts of their family history is that sometimes the patient themselves doesn’t know it enough in detail to be able to explain it to somebody else,” Powell says. Sometimes, for example, she’ll ask a patient if cancer runs in the family, and the patient will say, “Oh my grandma had cancer and it was all over…or I think it was in her lady parts…” If the information provided isn’t specific enough, Powell says doctors can’t use it to decide how to manage the patient. Age may have something to do with communication lapses between patients and doctors too, as one study found those under the age of 65 aren’t as likely to report feeling seen or heard by their doctors compared to patients over the age of 65.
