LEGAL-ASPECTS OF THE PHYSICIANS OBLIGATION TO KEEP RECORDS

The obligation to keep records of the medical care received by a patie nt is multifaceted and goes beyond the record-keeping obligation vis-a -vis the patient arising out of the doctor-patient relationship that i s usually in the forefront in juridical literature. In the area of med ical equipment regulations and radiation protection, as also the regul ations governing hazard materials, the obligation to keep records, ser ves as a preventive measure in warding off danger; as a control, regul atory and performance-determining instrument, it is indispensable for negotiations on hospital accommodation and treatment at charges, calcu lation of staff requirements, and in the area of the laws governing do ctors working within the health insurance system, as well as, finally for the purpose of quality control. The statement ''quod non est in ac tis - non est in mundo'' also has its justification in the field of me dical care.