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Primary Care Oral History Collection

 Collection
Identifier: OH 146

Abstract

62 oral histories of primary care physicians documenting the lives and work of individuals contributing to the interdisciplinary realm of primary health care delivery.

Dates

  • Creation: 1995-1996

Extent

1.5 Linear Feet

Creator

Physical Location

Materials stored onsite. History of Medicine Division. National Library of Medicine

Language of Materials

Collection materials primarily in English

Restrictions

The National Library of Medicine believes these materials to be in the public domain. Archival collections often contain mixed copyrights; while NLM is the owner of the physical items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. It is the user's responsibility to research and understand any applicable copyright and re-publication... rights not allowed by fair use. NLM does not grant permissions to publish.

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Copyright and Re-use Information

Collection is not restricted. Contact the Reference Staff for information regarding access.

Privacy Information

Archives and manuscript collections may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in any collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications for which the National Library of Medicine assumes no responsibility....

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Historical Note

Fitzhugh Mullan, M.D. is a pediatrician by professional training and also an author. He has written two autobiographies and a history of the Public Health Service, Plagues and politics: the story of the United States Public Health Service. He is a former director of the Bureau of Health Professions and Assistant Surgeon General of the PHS. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Science.

Collection Summary

The collection consists of 62 oral histories of primary care physicians in America and Britain by Fitzhugh Mullan, M.D. The project was undertaken to document the lives and work of individuals contributing to the interdisciplinary realm of primary health care delivery. Mullan intended to write a book on the subject using these interviews as a primary source. The subjects were selected by Mullan using his personal network of contacts, attempting to... achieve geographic, gender, ethnic and disciplinary balance. While not a truly scientific "sample frame," Mullan's contacts provided recommendations for potential interviewees in each area of the country he visited. Mullan then pared down the list according to his own judgment.

A poorly understood, yet often debated area of medical practice, primary care professionals are drawn from family practice, general practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, and the ranks of nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Partly misunderstood because of its interdisciplinary nature, it also suffers from a lack of spokespersons that are often associated with specialty oriented disciplines.

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