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Background Individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), even when asymptomatic, are at‐risk for sudden cardiac death and stroke from arrhythmias, making it imperative to identify individuals affected by this familial disorder. Consensus guidelines recommend that first‐degree relatives (FDRs) of a person with HCM undergo serial cardiovascular evaluations. Methods We determined the uptake of family screening in patients with HCM and developed an online video intervention to facilitate family communication and screening. Family screening and genetic testing data were collected through a prospective quality improvement initiative, a standardized clinical assessment and management plan (SCAMP), utilized in an established cardiovascular genetics clinic. Patients were prescribed an online video if screening of their FDRs was incomplete and a pilot study on video utilization and family communication was conducted. Results Two‐hundred and sixteen probands with HCM were enrolled in SCAMP Phase I and 190 were enrolled in SCAMP Phase II. In both phases, probands reported that 51% of FDRs had been screened (382/749 in Phase I, 258/504 in Phase II). Twenty patients participated in a pilot study on video utilization and family communication. Nine participants reported watching the video and six participants reported sharing the video with relatives; however only one participant reported sharing the video with relatives who were not yet aware of the diagnosis of HCM in the family. Conclusion Despite care in a specialized cardiovascular genetics clinic, approximately one half of FDRs of patients with HCM remained unscreened. Online interventions and videos may serve as supplemental tools for patients communicating genetic risk information to relatives.

Cardiac catheterization is a test during which flexible tubes called catheters are inserted into the heart via an artery or vein under x-ray guidance to diagnose and sometimes treat certain heart conditions. During right heart catheterization, a vein from the neck, arm, or leg is used to enter the right side of the heart to measure pressures and oxygen content. During left heart catheterization, an artery from the wrist, arm, or leg is used to enter the left side of the heart, usually to perform coronary angiography, which refers to the injection of contrast dye into the coronary arteries to determine the amount of blockage from atherosclerotic plaque. Cardiac catheterization is most often performed after completion of a history and physical examination and noninvasive cardiac testing such as an ECG, echocardiogram, or stress test to evaluate symptoms. Such symptoms commonly include chest pain (referred to as angina), shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, or palpitations. In addition to providing a roadmap of the coronary arteries, cardiac catheterization can help to determine how well the valves in between the chambers of the heart are working and how well the heart muscle is pumping. Cardiac catheterization provides definitive confirmation of narrowing in the coronary arteries and may also exclude the presence of coronary …