Background: Interviewing families is an essential skill for family physicians, but there is little research on the process or outcomes of family interviewing in primary care.
Methods: We conducted a search of MEDLINE and PsychINFO using a wide range of terms related to family interviewing. The studies obtained were grouped into one of four categories: physicians' family orientation or level of family involvement, family genograms, family members who accompany patients to routine visits, and family conferences.
Results: Family history and other family information are commonly collected, and family issues are often discussed in office visits. Genograms can be reliably and accurately obtained during brief visits, but they are not commonly used, and their impact is uncertain. Family members frequently accompany patients to office visits and serve various roles. The potential benefits and risks of these visits are not fully understood. Family conferences are infrequently used but are well accepted by patients and may be a cost-effective method for reducing unnecessary health care utilization.
Conclusions: Physicians use a wide range of family interviewing approaches with individual patients, with family members who accompany patients to office visits, and in family conferences. More research is needed to examine the process and outcome of these different types of family interviewing.