the first documented medical records were created in the 19th century.
the first documented medical records were created in the 19th century.
when were the first documented medical records created?
19th century
although the u.s. national archives establishment was not created until 1934, it was preceded by numerous private and state archives, including the massachusetts historical society, the first organized collection of american records created in 1791. the value of united states state archives centered on the provenance of their records while driven by the local narratives of their benefactors. the 11th united states congress investigated the state of government records in 1810, finding the records on hand were "in a state of great disorder and exposure; and in a situation neither safe nor convenient nor honorable to the nation." the committee recommended fireproofing and safe storage only four years before the burning of washington. although the reconstruction after the fire did not include the creation of a national archive, an archive at the state department's passport office had been in existence as early as the 1820s. there was no serious interest in establishing a national "hall of records" until the late 19th century and despite some 43 fires in various federal buildings between 1880 and 1915, legislation to create such an archive could not pass congress. since its founding in 1884, the american historical association voiced concern over the lack of a national archive, especially in light of continued losses of records. led by j. franklin jameson, the aha's goal in the establishment of a national archives was the collection of germane documents to substantiate conceptions of national history. after a series of further delays, the national archives act of 1934 was passed by the 73rd united states congress just as the construction of the national archives building (started in 1931) was nearing completion. the national archives and records administration has been advertised as an agency of narrative; the archives' façade claims "the glory and romance of our history are here preserved." allen weinstein said in 2005 that archive employees are "the designated custodians of america's national memory."
national archives
medical records are considerably more personal than exposure records or accident reports so the rules governing confidentiality and access to them are stricter. employee medical records do not include a lot of employee medical information because of this extra scrutiny. a good rule of thumb is that if the information is maintained separately from the employer's medical program, it probably will not be accessible.









































examples of separately maintained medical information would be records of voluntary employee assistance programs (alcohol, drug abuse, or personal counseling programs), medical records concerning health insurance claims or records created solely in preparation for litigation.
right to know