A Study to Determine Methods of Establishing Management Control Over Outpatient Medical Records Maintained at the Central Outpatient Records Room, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas

The study of the management and control of outpatient records at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas was initiated at the request of the executive officer of the hospital. He indicated that his attention was being frequently directed to the non-availability of outpatient medical records through patient complaints, and expressions of dissatisfaction on the part of hospital personnel. The hospital had engaged in repeated efforts to recognize and correct deficiencies in the current system. The study was directed toward identifying areas of weakness and providing recommendations for increasing control over, and thus, the availability of outpatient records. The following factors were determined to have a bearing on the problem: (1) activities of Brooke Army Medical Center which were served by the Central Outpatient Records Room were widely dispersed throughout Fort Sam Houston; (2) the medical center did not have a mechanical delivery system, such as a conveyor or pneumatic tube system and installation of such equipment was not feasible under the current configuration of the medical center; (3) the Central Outpatient Records Room was scheduled for relocation to a larger area of the basement of the main hospital building as part of a renovation project schedule for completion by June 1975; and (4) Brooke Army Medical Center also provided outpatient services to active duty and retired Air Force Personnel and their dependents and individuals in these categories frequently hand-carried their outpatient records which were maintained at Air Force treatment facilities.