PSYCHIATRIC RECORD-KEEPING IN THE MILITARY

Since the military health record is a permanent one which has many uses and which will go through many hands, the question of what the psychiatrist should record is an important one. This article has discussed a rationale for psychiatric recordkeeping which meets the administrative needs of the military while at the same time safeguards the confidentiality of the doctor-patient relationship as much as possible. After carefully considering the future fate of the records, protection can be given to whoever needs it most.