Palisadian., 1923-09-21
NEED OF MEDICAL RECORDS
Their Value in Industry Is Empha.
sized by United States Health
Service.

start has grown in favor and Is now
almosts universal among the larger
plants of the country, says the United
States public health service. The
same, however, it points out, cannot
be said in regard to the keeping Of
medical records. The chief complaint
against record keeping seems to be
that the information recorded is as
serted not to be worth it's cost except
as protection to the employer in
cases of disability that might be con-
sidered to be of industrial origin.
Such a complaint probably results
from the rapidity with which the sci
ence of industrial hygiene has devel-
oped. Since the establishment of
health departments in modern indus
trial plants, the records of absence
from work on account of sickness
have become most valuable as an in
dex of health con ditions in the plant.
From the records, the sickness rates
can each month be computed for the
principal occupations or departments
and any significant increase for a
group of workers will at once indicate
to the industrial physician or sani-
tarium the need for inquiring into its
causes. Once these are discovered,
the health service declares. it will
often be possible to nip in the bud
what might. If allowed to continue un-
checked, become very expensive both
to employer and employee
apart from indicating any change
in the health status of this or that
class of employees or part of the plant
or disease hazard. the records should
show the health rate of each class
with reference to the general health
rate for all employees and to the
rates of all other classes continues
the statement of the health service.
Such comparison may indicate that
certain groups Of employees are ex-
periencing an excessive amount Of Ill
health at expense both to the en-
ployer and to themselves.
"The value Of properly kept medical
records does not end with the plant
that keeps them. The public health
service has for some time been col
lecting industrial statistics in order
to obtain fundamental information
needed for effective disease-prevention
work. AS yet the service Is ignorant
as to the actual prevalence Of diseases
that cause suffering and loss of ef-
f1ciency but not death. Knowledge as
to the sickness expectancy for all In
dustrial employees and for certain
kinds of employment is needed.
IF enough sickness records can be
obtained to permit generalization after
making due allowance for fortuitous
conditions and hazards, the standards
and averages established can be used
by plants for comparison with their
own sickness rates. Such comparison
will probably indicate to many of
them why some Of their departments
have found it difficult to keep men,
and will show the desirability of MAX
ing certain Improvements In these or
other departments.
''The public health service will,
whenever possible, be glad to CO.
operate in the study Of sickness and
disease prevention in different plants
by helping them to devise forms that
are especially suited to the plant and
that yet conform to certain standard
requirements, and by helping in any
analysis Of the records that may tend
to improve working conditions and to
lessen losses due to sickness.
"The service will be glad to re-
ceive from any plants regular reports
that conform to standard requirements
and to tabulate, analyze and publish
statistics based on them. In certain
instances the service will assist COM
panies in making detailed analysis
Of their sickness records in order to
measure the bearing of such factors as
sex, age, nationality, marital status,
occupation, and length Of time en-
ployed on the incidence and severity
of disease. New York Times.