In evaluating the Heritage Assessment Tool (HAT) two things became immediately obvious. First, the questions provided a fair outline and structure for identifying factors of culture, religion, tradition and environment and how they may influence the subject family’s approach to health maintenance and health restoration. And second, that the medical professional using the HAT must be aware of and sensitive to the scrutinizing nature of the questions and what defensive and evasive responses they may invoke. While conducting these family interviews, I noticed even when asking the questions of my own family that they were not immune to this scrutiny affect. As such, when interviewing the other two families, I was very attentive to them and …show more content…

When inquiring about their religious background, I learned that they had roots in Utah and that family reunions were a treasured social event that they both looked forward to and sought to host. They elaborated on this by explaining that their religion, a Christian religion of latter day saints that some call Mormons, served as the structure of how they raised their families. According to their beliefs, all men are children of God and that makes the world one huge family. While serving food, the Hoveltons ask for a blessing of health on it in the form of a prayer, prior to anyone eating it. Prior to sleeping at night, they pray as a family group, asking God to bless them with good health or to bless them with the restoration of good health. In serious circumstance, be it actual or perceived, they have people in their church who come to their house when called and the men of the house will give the sick individual a personal blessing which addresses the specific ailment. This is not a group prayer as is conducted at the end of the evening with the family. This is done with what they describe as a “priesthood authority to act in the name of God.” (Hovelton, personal contact, 2013) Only the males of a certain age hold this authority and it can be requested any time day or night. They call upon the sick to be healed through their faith and the faith of their family and the Hoveltons described this as an absolute