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Re: confidentialty and collections



Heather Tennies asks a very important and sensitive question:

> We have received donations recently of doctors' records. Some include
> patient names, etc. These records are of visits to the doctor, reason,
> diagnosis, and treatment. The records would be of interest to genealogists
> as well as scholars studying a particular disease or methods of treatment,
> etc.
>
> How long should these records remain confidential?

Several years ago my supervisors, colleagues, and I had some long,
serious discussions of this topic. We decided that -- despite any
inconvenience to genealogists, etc. -- we would make it an official part
of our collection development policy NOT to accept any donations of
individual patient records.

I believe this was the right decision.

Sincerely,

Eric v. d. Luft, Ph.D., M.L.S.
Curator of Historical Collections, Health Sciences Library
SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210
<http://web.upstate.edu/lufte/> -- 315-464-4585
Listowner: ALHHS-L <http://web.upstate.edu/lufte/alhhs-l.html>
For e-mail pertaining to libraries, librarianship, or the history of
 medicine, please use <lufte@mail.upstate.edu> not <lufte@upstate.edu>
For all other e-mail, please use: gegensatz@sprintmail.com

                              *****

"Be always sure you're right, then go ahead."
                                          -- Davy Crockett
                                [Autobiography, 1834, title page]

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