Family routines: a construct for considering family health.

Nursing has tended to focus on health needs of individuals rather than the life-style implications of health for families and the natural support systems they provide. Health care reform is demanding that new methods be formulated for ensuring health promotion, disease prevention, and health maintenance within our society in a cost-effective and cost-efficient way. The article considers family routines as a construct for entering into dialog with families about their health. Family routines are observable relationship patterns occurring among family members on a consistent basis that describe, explain, and predict the uniqueness of families as the members interact and respond to their environment. Family routines provide an authentic demonstration of identifiable family health practices that can serve as areas for developing, implementing, and evaluating health interventions.