Medical genogram is very important in the nursing profession in that, it gives an overall picture of medical conditions about an individual or a family drawing from generational medical history. This is crucial in understanding health dynamics affecting a given family and it can help to save costs, which would be undertaken in the diagnosis process if the history of a given family is not available in a genogram.
Hereditary factors play a very important role in health of human beings. In this case, medical genogram is one of the most effective ways to capture hereditary factors, which have implications on an individual’s health. This is important in nursing in that, from the genogram, the information captured provides in in-depth and relevant source of information, which aids in the treatment process.
Non-verbal communication has been said to be more effective in garnering information compared to verbal communication. Medical genogram provides an opportunity for health care providers to capture information, which would not be possible using verbal communication. Therefore, medical genogram is viewed as an effective tool of collecting relevant information in relation to patients without having to bother the patients to diverge much information.
A medical genogram is important in the nursing assessment of the family given the fact that it is only through utilizing medical genogram that; emotional relationships, social relationships as well as family relationships can be analyzed effectively. The social, family and emotional relationships different individuals exhibits have been found to significantly contribute to the well being of individuals. (McGoldrick, 1999). As a result, the medical genogram aims at bringing out social relationships, which can help health care providers in the treatment process by understanding social factors underlying the causes of disease or other medical conditions.
On their part, family factors play a crucial role in the health patterns of individuals and as a result, the medical genogram is an important tool in capturing family factors that have an impact on the health of an individual, hence aiding the process of diagnosis and avoiding misdiagnosis or wrong treatment.
In summary, medical genogram is an important tool in demonstrating health risks and therefore aiding nurses in prevention and mitigation stages of health care provision.
Social/community ecomap (relationships) are important as they represent family in relationship to the environment. The environment is one of the most influential factors on the health of human beings together with hereditary factors. To understand one’s environment, requires concerted efforts in data collection something, which is only possible through the utilization of social/community ecomap. The environment plays an important role in determining the quality of life that individuals are exposed to and as a result, the environment has an impact on the health of the family. For instance, a family which lacks proper sanitation and housing due to the fact that the environment where such a family lives lacks in such resources, is likely to have an impact on the health of the family members in terms of vulnerability and the risks, which such a family is exposed to. (Krasner-Khait, 2000).
An ecomap is important in the analyzing of information concerning the involvement of various community, organization in the life of given individuals. This is important because it can demonstrate evidence of needs that have a bearing on health and well being of individuals. Unlike it is the case of medical genogram, the ecomap presents information that enables nurses and other health care providers to relate individuals medical conditions to resources in the environment. This is important in nursing because it can help in the change of approach especially whereby the root causes of diseases or medical conditions are out of control for the nursing field.
In addition, an ecomap is important in the process of identification of sources of pressure, which have an impact on one’s health. For instance, an ecomap will help a nurse to better understand work situations of the patient as well as financial position, which are important in determining the patient’s vulnerability.
In conclusion, it is evident from the above discussion that, the medical genogram is a useful tool in nursing especially given the fact that it helps nurses to better understand the social relationships, the family relationships as well the economic relationships, which impact on families causing direct or indirect health consequences. On the other hand, social/community ecomap is important because it helps nurses to better understand a family’s relationship to the environment in regard to health implications.
References
Barbara, Krasner-Khait. 2000. Focusing Beneath the Surface: Genograms Add Insight to Family Research. Ancestry 18. PP.17-29.
Monica, McGoldrick et al. 1999. Genograms: Assessment and Intervention. 2nd Ed. New York. Norton & Co. PP.58-63.
