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Lay constructions of a family history of heart disease: potential for misunderstandings in the clinical encounter?

The LancetPublished 1 April 2001
Kate Hunt, Carol Emslie, Graham Watt
Citations103
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score12.11
SNIP22.72

TL;DR

Perception of a family history of heart disease depended on knowledge of the health of family members, the number and closeness of relatives with heart conditions, the age of affected relatives, and the respondent's sex and social class.

Abstract

The factors that people and epidemiologists judge as relevant to establish presence of a family history can differ. We suggest that these differences could lead to misunderstandings between doctor and patient, which could undermine advice on CHD risks and associated behavioural changes.

Keywords

Social SciencesMedicineEconomics, Econometrics and Finance