Master Patient Index Cards

Full description

System of Arrangement/Control

Series : alphabetical according to range of patient surnames

Contents : alphabetical by patient surname.

Range of Control Symbols

Series : A - Z

Contents : Aalbers - Zywaczewski

Master Patient Indexes are arranged alphabetically by patient surname and record the names and details of patients admitted to the hospital. Some hospitals include out patients in this register, other use a separate sequence for outpatients.

Typical information recorded includes patient's name and address, sex, age, date of birth, marital status, ward type, medical officer, class of admission/discharge/death and patients record number. Some indexes include summary information or final diagnosis and treatment and coded information or disease or operation types.

This record is the key to locating patients files which were filed in record number order.

This series commenced in June 1979 when the Springvale and District Community Hospital began using the Unit Record (UR) number system of patient information filing. Under this system, registered as VPRS 7729 Patient Information Files, each file is allocated a 6 digit file number. The file contains information relating to all of the patients stays at that hospital. All files from this system have been destroyed under the provisions of PROS 85/9 General Disposal Schedule for Patient Information in Public Hospitals except for:

- permanent samples of files
- microfilm copy of files which were not eligible for immediate destruction in 1988 (VPRS 7956).

A separate register was created to cover outpatients. This has been permanently retained VPRS 7725.