The panel's complete updated draft state-of-the-science statement will be available later today at <consensus.nih>. The conference was sponsored by the NIH Office of Medical Applications of Research and the National Human Genome Research Institute along with other NIH and Department of Health and Human Services components. This conference was conducted under the NIH Consensus Development Program, which convenes conferences to assess the available scientific evidence and develop objective statements on controversial medical issues.
The 16-member conference panel included experts in the fields of family medicine, population health, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, health economics, epidemiology, biostatistics, genetic counseling, medical genetics, nursing, health informatics, endocrinology, behavioral science, ethics, health services and outcomes research, and a public representative. A complete listing of the panel members and their institutional affiliations is included in the draft conference statement. Additional materials, including panel bios, photos, and other related resources, are available at <consensus.nih/familyhistorymedia.htm>. Interviews with panel members can be arranged by contacting Kelli Marciel at 301-496-4819 or e-mail Kelli.Marcielnih.
In addition to the material presented at the conference by speakers and the comments of conference participants presented during discussion periods, the panel considered pertinent research from the published literature and the results of a systematic review of the literature. The systematic review was prepared through the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) program, by the McMaster University Evidence-based Practice Center. The EPCs develop evidence reports and technology assessments based on rigorous, comprehensive syntheses and analyses of the scientific literature, emphasizing explicit and detailed documentation of methods, rationale, and assumptions. The evidence report on family history and improving health is available at <ahrq/clinic/tp/famhimptp.htm>.
Source: NIH/National Institutes of Health, Office of Disease Prevention