Family Assessment Tools

Objectives of the Subject

Discuss the significance of family
assessment tools in the health care delivery.
Analyze uses of the different family
assessment tools.
Utilize the most appropriate family
assessment tool in a given medical condition.
Know the extent of the physicians
involvement with the patients family

Why do we Need tools to Assess the family?

assess family functioning

assess coping mechanisms of the family
assess resources
assess family structure
to have a picture of the multigenerational
patterns of behavior or illnesses.
to assess the normal crisis or common illness to
be encountered in each stage of development.
to provide anticipatory care and guidance.

What do you know about GENOGRAM?

inheritance patterns
family illness
family members
family relationships
significant dates

When to use the GENOGRAM?

Used in all kinds of patients, can

be alternative to the narrative
personal and social history.

What do you know about FAMILY MAP?

Family relationships
Interaction patterns

When to use the FAMILY MAP?

Psychosomatic disorders
Difficult patients (poor compliance)
Thick file syndrome
Alcohol and drug abuse
Multiple presentations by multiple family
members.
Chronically ill and terminally ill patients.

What do you know about

FAMILY APGAR?

Patients satisfaction to the family

functioning.
Subjective
Limited to what the patient want to
disclose regarding his family.

When to use FAMILY APGAR?

Symptoms that manifest as psychosomatic disorder
such as frequent headache, anxiety, depression,
insomnia, fatigue, and increased pediatric complaints.
Difficult patients
Marital or sexual difficulties
Multiple presentations by multiple family members.
Drug or alcohol abuse
Evidence of sexual and physical abuse in wife or child
The thick file syndrome

What do you know about

SCREEM?
Sources of help
Barriers to patient care
Relationship of health behaviors,
practices and utilization of health
services

When to use the SCREEM?

Chronically ill patients

Terminally ill patients
Hospice and palliative care
Difficult and non-compliant patients
Caregiver fatigue

What do you know about

FAMILY LIFELINE?
Family history
Significant events
Significant event that may have an
effect on patients health.

When to use the FAMILY LIFELINE?

Long term illness is anticipated

Presence of difficulty in care giving
Non-compliance to treatment strategies
Cases when the doctor needs to think
family such as inappropriate behavior in
the antenatal/postpartum care.
Drug and alcohol abuse
Sexual or physical abuse.

Other TOOLS
DRAFT (Draw a Family Test)
The Family Circle

Five Levels of Involvement

Level 1: Minimal emphasis on Family on the
health care delivery
Level 2: Ongoing medical information and
advice. Works collaboratively with
patients and families, and understands the
triangular nature of MD-Px-Family
relationship

Five Levels of Involvement

Level 3: Feelings and support. The
physician understands normal family
development and how family reacts to
stress.
Level 4: Assessment of family dysfunction
and provide intervention.
Level 5: Family Therapy