Family-based Detection
Patients & Their Families
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A hemochromatosis diagnosis identifies a patient who needs treatment
and a family potentially at risk.
Encouraging hemochromatosis patients to urge family members (blood
relatives) to have
biochemical tests for iron overload (fasting transferrin saturation and
serum ferritin) is an important disease prevention
opportunity.
A patient who has hereditary hemochromatosis is often highly motivated to
speak to family members about this preventable disease.
Family-based detection is an efficient way to identify those who have an
increased risk of developing hemochromatosis, but it requires careful
attention to patient confidentiality and preferences.
- Health care providers can facilitate family detection by counseling
patients about the value of informing family members.
- A common approach is to give patients printed information about
hemochromatosis and a letter for family members that encourages them to be
tested for iron overload by their regular health care providers.
Download information hemochromatosis patients can share with family
members, Talking with Your Family Members
About Hemochromatosis.
(PDF–57K) This can
be printed on your office letterhead.
Download the letter for patients to
give to their immediate family members explaining family-based detection. (PDF–53K) This letter can be
printed on your office letterhead.
Download the CDC Brochure Iron Overload and Hemochromatosis: Information
for patients and their families (PDF–2.7Mb)
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installed on your computer. You can
download it for
free from Adobe Corporation.
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