Family history of colorectal cancer - How often and how accurately is it recorded?

PURPOSE: A family history of colorectal cancer is an important risk factor for the disease. a positive family history means that endoscopic screening should be recommended and a strongly positive family history raises the pos sibility of a dominantly inherited syndrome. This study was performed to fi nd how often and how accurately a family history of colorectal cancer was r ecorded in the charts of patients on a colorectal surgical ward. A second a im was to see whether family history-taking could be improved. METHODS: The charts of 100 inpatients on a colorectal surgical floor were reviewed for the presence of a family history of colorectal cancer. Any chart documentat ion was compared with a family history obtained by a detailed interview. Th e chart review was repeated four years later. RESULTS: In the initial revie w, we found that a family history was recorded in 45 of 100 charts. It was accurate for colorectal cancer in 36 charts. Four years later, the rate of family history recording increased to 61 of 96, whereas the accuracy rare ( 45/61) did not change. Responses to a simple screening question asking abou t a family history of colorectal cancer were accurate in 77 percent of pati ents. CONCLUSIONS: Not all colorectal surgical patients have their family h istories recorded, and even when it is recorded, it is not always correct. Despite improvement during a four-year period, there is still room for furt her improvement in the recording of a family history of colorectal cancer. Physicians should make an effort to ask this question and document the resp onse in the hospital chart.