Cultural Genogram: A Tool for Teaching and Practice

Cultural issues affect patients’, families’, and providers’ perspectives on health, illness, and disease, thus a provider’s sensitivity and awareness to cultural issues can influence the quality and outcome of the patient and family encounter. As the population of the United States becomes more culturally diverse, health care professionals render care to patients whose cultural beliefs, values, attitudes, and health practices differ from their own. The cultural genogram is used as an educational tool to teach health care professionals a structured way to address patients’ and families’ cultural beliefs and practices. This article describes instructional activities for undergraduates, graduates, and faculty; presents a case example and personal reflections of a resident in family medicine; describes practical issues for the clinician; and proposes implications for evaluation and research.