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About My Family Health Portrait

My Family Health Portrait was originally developed in collaboration between the Office of the Surgeon General and the National Human Genome Research Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services. The first version of My Family Health Portrait was released in November 2004 as downloadable computer software. However, it ran only on computers using the Windows operating system, a significant disadvantage to users of Macintosh (Mac) operating systems.

In November 2005, the tool was released in a web-based version that uses an Internet browser on a user's personal computer. No software is downloaded to the user's personal computer, so the tool now works on a computer using the Macintosh operating system as well as a computer using the Windows operating system. The only requirement is that the user have an up-to-date version of their browser software, which is widely available from multiple sources. The software for My Family Health Portrait was tested in current versions of Internet Explorer for Windows, Firefox for Windows and Mac, Netscape for Windows and Mac and Safari for Mac.

In January 2009, the tool was re-architected and modified in the following ways:

  1. Standards-based: Leveraging work done by the American Health Information Community (AHIC), both technical and core data standards have been built into the FHH 2.0 design. This means an increase in interoperability and a diminished learning curve for consumers, practitioners and researchers.
  2. Shareable: Information can be electronically shared by the consumer with family members and healthcare providers. This new feature allows consumers to collaborate with family electronically to develop a more robust family health history record.
  3. EHR-Ready: Version 2.0 produces xml files that can be easily integrated into existing EHRs with little customization or IT support needed. It's as simple as copying an electronic file from one location into a new system.
  4. Customizable: The tool can be downloaded for adoption under an organization's own brand. It is intended to be easily adaptable into patient care portals, thus allowing healthcare organizations to promote family health history taking under their own brand, use it within their own secure environment, and contribute to comprehensive "one-stop-shopping" online patient service portal.

In November 2014, the tool, referred to as My Family Health Portrait version 3.0, was re-architected and modified in the following ways:

Each release of My Family Health Portrait is tested on Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer version 10 and newer versions. Since the re-architecture in 2014, the tool has been maintained and improved each year. A list of the changes for each release can be viewed under the Site Updates link in the footer.

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