Physicians' impressions of old medical records.

The physician respondents generally agreed that progress notes and chart notes are of little value to them and that hospital discharge summaries, old ECGs, and dictated summaries of the patient's medical records were of greater value. Although a majority of respondents felt old x-ray reports, results of old laboratory tests, and reports of special tests, such as cardiac catheterizations, pulmonary functions, and stress tests, to be of value, opinion was more nearly equally divided. In general, physicians valued old records that were typewritten over handwritten records.