Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-01-02
NEED OF MEDICAL RECORDS
Their Value in Industry Is Empha-
sized by United States Health
Service.

Industrial medical service from the
start has grown in favor and is now
almost 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 its cost except
as protection to the employer in
cases of disability that might be con-
sidered to be of industrial origin.
Such 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
ti'al plants, the records of absence
from work on account of sickness
l!dle become most valuable as an in
d., Cf health COZ litionS in the plant.
From the rcr~JrdS, the sickness rates
can each month be computed for the
principal occupations or departments;
and any significant increase for
group of workers will at once Indicate
to tie indust ial physician or SAM
tarium the need for inquiring into it's
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 I'M
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-
perlencing an excessive amount of Ill
health at expense both to the EN-
nloyer 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 eff
ticiency 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 il difficult to keep men,
and will show the desirabiIity 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
Ivy helping them to devise forms that
are especially suited to the plant and
that vet conform to certain standard
requirements, and by helping in any
analysis of the records that may tend
to improve working conditions and to