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Genealogical Computing
4/1/2002 - Archive
GeneWeaver: Health History Software
Family health history, like genealogy in general, has become mainstream. Researchers
are realizing that their compiled information contains important health history
clues. At the same time, their families are beginning to recognize the importance
of this practical by-product of their research.
Some genealogical software programs have offered limited health history capabilities.
Medical software has been available to generate specific forms, such as genograms,
but this required the manual input of all names, relationships, and information.
Most researchers are genealogists, not geneticists or medical professionals,
so the systematic recording, organizing, and sharing of such information has
not been quick or easy for us to accomplish.
GeneWeaver was developed to fill the need for a software program that facilitates
easy entry of important family health information. It is GEDCOM compatible,
and generates useable forms and charts for sharing that information with family
members and health care professionals. Professional genealogists Elizabeth Kelley
Kerstens, CGRS, CGL, and Norma Storrs Keating, RN, BSN, assembled the GeneWeaver
team, and since 1999 have focused on bringing this software to genealogists.
A Quick Overview
GeneWeaver is a Windows-based program that allows the user to easily input family
information, including health history, either manually or through a GEDCOM import.
The range of information can be very basic (names, relationships, and causes
of death) to very detailed health history specifics.
Printable charts (such as individual health histories, medical pedigree charts,
and genograms) can be automatically generated to share with family members and
health care providers. These charts can provide not only clues to potential
inherited tendencies, but also health summaries on living individuals that are
useable day-to-day for preventive care and in emergency situations.
Multiple databases can be compiled with GeneWeaver, making it a very useable
tool for family historians, as well as for professional genealogists and medical
offices.
The software and manual include a wealth of practical information on compiling
and understanding health history, using sources for additional information,
identifying both modern and outdated medical terms, and using the information.
User's Manual
The GeneWeaver manual was designed to guide first-time users step-by-step through
program setup and usage, as well as to allow experienced users to jump in anywhere
and check a subject or feature. The manual has introductory information, a "Getting
Started" chapter, and four chapters that correspond to the four major screens
the program displays. The manual concludes with support and troubleshooting
information, shortcuts and features summary, and sample forms and reports.
In developing the manual, Richard F. Robinson (a Pulitzer Prize-nominated medical
writer for The Oakland Press in Pontiac, Michigan) added his evident skills
to those of Liz Kerstens and Norma Keating. It is clearly written in non-technical
language, and appropriately illustrated throughout with very readable screen
shots. The introductory chapters include important, understandable basics of
family health history and genetics, and details on where and how to gather health
history information.
Familiarization
This program is easy for "non-techies" to understand and use from
the time of installation on. GeneWeaver is designed with the look and feel of
a Web browser, and the screens are well-organized, uncluttered, and easy on
the eyes. The four major screens are Main Menu, People List, Family Tree, and
Details.
The manual's step-by-step instructions quickly had me familiar with the basic
operation of the software. Also, help was always at hand. The on-screen Help
is available on all four of the major screens. It includes the user's manual,
(which is searchable by content and index keyword(s)), blank forms, the bibliography,
relationship charts, and hundreds of sources of health information.
The Main Menu allows users to add a new family database, open an existing family,
archive a database, or import a GEDCOM file. When starting, you can either create
and add information on families manually, or let the program automatically copy
the data from a GEDCOM file. I first chose to enter the data manually so I could
get a good idea of how the program functions.
It took me only a few moments to manually enter data on four full generations
of a new family, and then link their family relationships. (If you are entering
individuals manually, follow the manual's recommendation to add the names and
relationships first, and then go back to add personal and health details later.)
Once I had entered the individuals and linked them, I went back to add health
history details.
I also tried a GEDCOM file transfer from a Family Tree Maker database. The transfer
was completed quickly, and the GeneWeaver program prompted me to select a name
for the new database and then save the file. At this point, GeneWeaver tests
the new database to determine if there were any errors during the import and
conversion. If there were, it produces an "Error Log" and provides
troubleshooting help. Upon checking the new database in GeneWeaver, I found
that my file transfer had been made without any apparent lost names or relationships.
Whichever way you enter your names and relationships, GeneWeaver's real power
is in what comes next: entering history and medical details for each individual.
From either the "People" or the "Details" list, you can
enter information in several categories, including person, events, spouses,
siblings, health, and health events.
The "health wizard" guides you in entering medical information by
using a detailed health history questionnaire for each individual that covers
physical characteristics, routine checkups, habits, allergies, diet, medical
conditions/disorders, surgical procedures, disabilities, diseases, emotional/behavioral
problems, pregnancies, and accidents. You can simply select and click on a medical
condition from the alphabetical list of more than 2,600 current and historical
terms included in the program.
You can also enter personal life information, including education, military
service, religion, work history, travel history, and life interests, including
hobbies and unique achievements.
Updating those fields in GeneWeaver will be an ongoing additional part of my
research, as I find further health history clues and details on those individuals
in my family.
There are data grid tabbed sections, including Events, Spouses, Siblings, and
Health Events from which you can select information or select your own optional
items. Drop-down lists appear in many screens and boxes on the program, and
those can also be edited very simply to your specific needs. All in all, GeneWeaver's
data input capabilities and format are a major advance and accomplishment. Using
it, almost any researcher can compile detailed, valuable family health histories
for families and individuals, both living and deceased.
Print Capabilities
Once you have entered data on the health history of family members, you can
print out some useable information in two formats.
The two printable charts can be generated from the information that you enter,
starting with any individual that you select. The Medical Pedigree Chart indicates
name, death date, age at death, cause of death, and secondary cause for a four-generation
pedigree. The Medical Genogram illustrates four generations of a family (including
siblings) in a format that geneticists and many medical professionals are familiar
with. It shows in detail the cause of death patterns for a family line. Both
of these forms will provide any family member with basic information to share
with their health care provider.
You can also print out a blank four-page health history questionnaire, an extensive
checklist of health information resources, and a bibliography of family health
history and genetics publications.
Limitations of GeneWeaver
Genes and Things, the owner of GeneWeaver, has indicated a strong commitment
to continue expanding and improving the capabilities of GeneWeaver, based on
customer feedback and technological advances. That is significant. The program
provides powerful information-gathering and organizing capabilities, but the
options for information output at this point are not as extensive as I had hoped.
The Individual's Health History Questionnaire, which can be printed out as a
blank form, cannot be printed out for each individual once you have keyed the
information in. While some of that detail is included in the Medical Pedigree
Chart and Genogram, most researchers will certainly want to print out all the
detail they have collected. They will want to provide organized details data
to the relatives who provided information to them, to children and grandchildren,
for their use, and for reference by their health care providers. The data on
living people will constantly be updated and added to, and will necessitate
frequent reprinting to be truly useful. The ability to print the Individual's
Health History Questionnaire will be available in a free patch that is expected
to be ready in the Spring of 2002.
The Medical Pedigree Charts and the Genogram forms are certainly useful as they
exist. However, if users were able to print these two forms by selecting or
including specific fields in the databases, the program would have far more
powerful practical uses. (As an obvious example, think of the usefulness of
being able to select a specific medical condition and then print genograms that
highlight family members with a history of breast cancer or diabetes.) While
this is by no means a simple programming enhancement, it is the direction that
this type of software will no doubt need to take. I hope output capability enhancements
will make future GeneWeaver updates an even more useable program.
While these are very real limitations, they should not overshadow what is a
very valuable and powerful program in its present version. I will continue using
GeneWeaver to gather and organize health history information on my family, past
and present, and will share it with family members.
Genealogy has long needed a simple but powerful program for recording family
health history data and transmitting it to family members and health care professionals
in understandable, useable formats. GeneWeaver is the first significant program
to fill much of that need. It is a program that should be used by family and
professional genealogists, as well as medical professionals.
James W. Warren is a professional researcher, lecturer, and writer. Jim is
vice president for administration of FGS, co-author of Your Guide to the Family
History Library, and a member of the NGS Family Health and Heredity Committee.
Jim can be reached by e-mail at warren@spacestar.com.
GeneWeaver 1.0
Minimum Requirements: Windows 9x, ME, 2000, XP, IBM-PC compatible, 486/33 or higher,
double-speed CD-ROM drive, 16 MB RAM, 25 MB hard drive.
Comes with CD-ROM and printed 121-page user's manual.
Genes & Things, Inc.
P.O. Box 5402
Plymouth, MI 48170
$49.95 plus shipping
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