The use of the genogram in palliative care.

A genogram is a format for drawing a family tree that records information about family members and their relationships over at least three generations. The genogram has been widely promoted as a useful tool for gathering, recording and displaying family information in order to practice family-oriented health care. We present a format for constructing the genogram and to outline the principles underlying its interpretation and application in clinical practice, so as to facilitate its use by physicians, nurses, psychologists, family therapists, and other professionals working with families in palliative care. Finally, the future potential of the genogram as a research and clinical tool in palliative care is discussed.