A family data base for the family oriented medical record.

A family data base is defined along with the method for obtaining it. It can be used in its entirety to evaluate troubled families, or it can be abbreviated for intake and screening functions. Once complete, the data base is incorporated into the family oriented medical record, serving a purpose for the family analogous to that of the traditional history and physical examination for the individual. It provides for family medical and social information to be kept in one place, obviating the necessity of recording the information separately for each family member. The primary focus of the data base is psychosocial, but other problems, such as inherited or infectious disease in the family, are also included. This method has been used to teach concepts of family oriented care and to facilitate health care delivery in a variety of settings.