Kinlist is an online resource for relatives of sudden cardiac death (SCD) victims. Kinlist offers a guide to help manage a loved one’s affairs after an unexpected loss. Necessary responsibilities range from obtaining death certificates to closing bank and email accounts to claiming financial benefits.
Sometimes, a sudden unexpected loss of a family member can have health and medical implications for surviving relatives. Kinlist helps you understand potential cardiovascular and other health implications for adult, first degree (i.e. parent, sibling, or child) relatives of SCD victims.
In addition, the website offers medical information on SCD, support and advocacy resources that may help surviving family members cope with the loss, and participate in optional research opportunities.
Kinlist aims to increase awareness of sudden cardiac death (SCD) and help family members understand their potential risk of cardiovascular disease through a free online cardiovascular health assessment. Through Kinlist, surviving relatives also have access to optional research opportunities to further knowledge about sudden unexpected death. Kinlist research participants constitute a group of first-degree relatives of SCD victims who provide information about their personal and family history of heart conditions. Data obtained from this unique cohort will lead to a better understanding of the causes of SCD, improved ways to predict heart disease and SCD, and to novel approaches to preventing SCD. Kinlist will not use your identifable information for research, but may use your anonymous data for research with your consent.
In addition to offering a comprehensive checklist of necessary tasks following the death of a relative, Kinlist offers an individualized cardiovascular health assessment tool for adult, first degree relatives to learn more about their own risk for cardiac problems. The health assessment is done using a series of self-reported surveys focusing on:
Once the user completes the surveys, they will receive an individualized cardiovascular health assessment along with relevant health information and guidance on a potential surveillance plan and lifestyle choices to maximize overall health. This information will be available to the user via secure account at any time and can be downloaded to share with medical providers and family members
Kinlist was created by a team of cardiologists and a genetic counselor at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) working with families affected by sudden cardiac death (SCD). Surviving relatives of SCD victims may not know about their potential health risks. In addition, limited resources are available to help people handle a loved one’s affairs following their sudden unexpected passing. Thus, Kinlist was developed to help family members of SCD victims complete these logistical tasks, learn more about possible cardiac risks to surviving relatives, and assess their own risk for heart disease.
Jeffrey Olgin, MD
Gallo-Chatterjee Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Chief of Cardiology,
University of California San Francisco (UCSF)
Dr. Olgin is a practicing, Board-certified cardiologist and electrophysiologist and cardiovascular researcher. In addition to being a practicing cardiologist focused on treating and preventing arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and sudden death, his research interests include understanding the mechanisms of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. He has run several clinical studies to develop novel approaches for predicting and preventing sudden cardiac death. He is also one of the principal investigators of the Health eHeart Study, which aims to utilize mobile and digital technology to study, treat and prevent heart disease.
Zian Tseng, MD, MAS
Associate Professor of Medicine in Residence
Murray Davis Endowed Professor in Sudden Death Research
Dr. Tseng is a practicing, Board-certified cardiologist and electrophysiologist and cardiovascular epidemiologist and researcher. He leads the San Francisco POstmortem Systematic invesTigation of Sudden Cardiac Death (POST SCD) Study, a large NIH-funded ongoing collaborative research program investigating the epidemiology and underlying causes of sudden death. He is an expert in determining the risk of patients prone to SCD and ventricular arrhythmias. He also specializes in the ablation of complex arrhythmias, implanting defibrillators and resynchronizing heart devices, and treatment of arrhythmias in patients with congenital heart disease. In addition, Dr. Tseng is involved in developing new device treatments.
Julianne Wojciak, MS
Genetic Counselor
Julianne is a licensed genetic counselor specializing in cardiovascular genetics at UCSF. She directs the UCSF Cardiovascular Genetics Program, a clinical service providing comprehensive cardiac and genetic services for patients and families with inherited heart disease and unexplained sudden cardiac death (SCD). She is involved in research studies focusing on discovering novel genetic causes of SCD and directly translating research findings to surviving family members so they can benefit from potentially life-saving medical care. She is dedicated to increasing awareness of SCD and potential health risks to family members through collaboration with numerous advocacy and professional organizations focusing on preventing SCD in those at increased risk. She also provides lectures, written educational resources and medical publications on cardiovascular genetics for a variety of medical and community organizations.