Taking the long view of medical records preservation and archives
| Date | 09 March 2015 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-11-2013-0141 |
| Published date | 09 March 2015 |
| Pages | 387-400 |
| Author | Lorraine Dong |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Records management & preservation,Document management |
Taking the long view of
medical records preservation
and archives
Lorraine Dong
School of Information, The University of Texas at Austin,
Austin, Texas, USA
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to present an argument for taking the long view of the
retention and preservation of inactive medical records.
Design/methodology/approach –Using the theoretical framework of Actor-Network Theory, the
author examines medical records, and especially mental health records, as actants that participate in
the classification and treatment of patients, and in the development of psychiatry and mental hospitals
as social institutions.
Findings –The varied and profound roles of medical records demonstrate the ability for records to
have multiple “lives”that can touch many individuals beyond a single human lifetime.
Practical implications –As the current and future custodians of historical medical record
collections, information professionals are in a position to be greater advocates for the increased
preservation of and mindful access to these materials.
Social implications –Medical records have potential to be cultural heritage documents, especially
for emergent communities.
Originality/value –This paper articulates the ways in which medical records are an embedded part
of many societies, and affect the ways in which illness is defined and treated. It thus suggests that
while laws regarding the retention and destruction of and access to medical records continue to be
deliberated upon around the world, such records can have enduring value as information artifacts.
Keywords Archives, Classification, Theory, Information profession, Health, Information control
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction: why medical records matter
Public understanding of mental illness and mental health has become increasing ly
possible through projects that present the perspectives and lived experiences of mental
healthcare consumers and workers. For example, University of College London
information studies doctoral student, Anna Sexton, collaborated with the Wellcome
Library to launch a digital archive of recovery stories as told by individuals who have
experienced mental health difficulties[1]. The Exploratorium in San Francisco, California,
held a temporary physical exhibit in 2013-2014 called “The Changing Face of What is
Normal: Mental Health”that included patient belongings from a defunct New York state
facility, Willard Psychiatric Center, and video-based interviews in order to present the
challenges and risks of defining mental illness[2]. The Austin, Texas-based art group,
Four Plus Four Equals, attempts to raise awareness about mental health through audio
recordings and co-created artwork by artists and people in recovery[3]. While oral
narratives and artifacts are the primary informational sources for these three projects,
health provider records can provide yet another critical viewpoint into the world of mental
illness and institutional care. The accessibility of mental health records, and medical
records in general, as archival documents is not always possible, however, dependent
upon specific national and state laws and organizational policies.
Journal of Documentation
Vol. 71 No. 2, 2015
pp. 387-400
©Emerald Group Publis hing Limited
0022-0418
DOI 10.1108/JD-11-2013-0141
Received 2 November 2013
Revised 10 March 2014
Accepted1May2014
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0022-0418.htm
387
Medical
records
preservation
and archives
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