Understanding your family’s medical background can be a powerful tool for better health decisions. A well-documented medical family history helps you identify potential health risks, track genetic conditions, and share crucial information with healthcare providers. One of the best tools to organize this data is Family Tree Maker software. With its simple interface and detailed reporting features, you can create a clear picture of your family’s health patterns.
In this article, you’ll learn how to build a medical family history using FTM step-by-step.
Why a Medical Family History Matters
A medical family tree is more than just a list of diseases. It can help you:
- Understand hereditary health risks
- Provide useful information to doctors
- Plan preventive care
- Track genetic conditions across generations
- Educate your children about health awareness
Collecting this information once—and storing it properly—can serve your family for generations.
Step 1: Gather Information From Relatives
Before entering anything into Family Tree Maker software, start with conversations. Speak with your parents, grandparents, siblings, and extended relatives.
Ask simple questions like:
- Are there any chronic diseases in the family?
- Has anyone been diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes, or cancer?
- Are there allergies or genetic disorders?
- At what age did the condition appear?
Write everything down clearly. Even basic details are helpful.
Step 2: Collect Medical Records (If Available)
Not everyone will have documents, but if they do, it’s worth noting important details such as:
- Diagnosis
- Treatment history
- Age of onset
- Lifestyle factors related to illness
You don’t need full reports—just essential facts to build a clear family health picture.
Step 3: Open Family Tree Maker Software and Create Profiles
Once you have the information, open Family Tree Maker software and start building individual profiles for each family member.
Add the following details:
- Full name
- Date of birth and death (if applicable)
- Relationship
- Medical conditions
- Notes about lifestyle or health risks
FTM makes it easy to add custom facts such as “Diabetes,” “Asthma,” or “Heart Disease” to each person’s record. You can also attach documents or photos for future reference.
Step 4: Create Medical Notes and Custom Facts
FTM allows you to create personalized fact types. This is especially useful for medical history.
Examples of custom facts:
- High Blood Pressure
- Cancer Type
- Genetic Disorder
- Allergies
- Mental Health Conditions
By assigning these custom facts to each family member, you make the medical history easy to read and analyze.
Step 5: Use Charts and Reports for Better Visualization
Family Tree Maker software includes charting tools that allow you to see patterns clearly.
Useful reports include:
- Individual reports
- Notes reports
- Custom medical history charts
- Relationship charts
These documents help you visualize how certain conditions may travel across generations. You can also export these charts as PDFs to share with your doctor.
Step 6: Keep Updating Your Medical Family History
Medical history is not a one-time activity. As new information becomes available, update your tree.
Make sure to:
- Add new diagnoses
- Update lifestyle or health changes
- Record genetic test results
- Track children’s health as they grow
Regular updates ensure that your medical family tree stays accurate and valuable.
Step 7: Share the Information Securely
Family health information is sensitive. Be mindful when sharing.
Safe ways to share:
- Encrypted PDF reports
- Limited access to your FTM file
- A printed copy for your doctor
FTM makes sharing easy while allowing you to control who sees what.
Conclusion
Building a medical family history using Family Tree Maker software is one of the smartest steps you can take for your family’s long-term health. It helps you understand genetic risks, make informed choices, and preserve important information for future generations. Start collecting details today, enter them into FTM, and create a clear medical roadmap for your family.
If you want help setting up your Family Tree Maker or organizing your medical history, feel free to reach out—it’s easier than you think!