E. Amory Codman (1869–1940) was a pioneering Boston surgeon who made contributions to anaesthesiology, radiology, duodenal ulcer surgery, orthopaedic oncology, shoulder surgery, and the study of medical outcomes.^[1]

Codman was born in Boston Massachusetts. He attended the Fay School in Southborough, and prepped at St. Mark's School, matriculating at Harvard College. In 1895 he graduated from Harvard Medical School. He then joined the staff at Harvard at Mass General Hospital.

Codman was the first American doctor to follow the progress of patients through their recoveries in a systematic manner.^[2] He kept track of his patients via "End Result Cards" which contained basic demographic data on every patient treated, along with the diagnosis, the treatment he rendered, and the outcome of each case. Each patient was followed up on for at least one year to observe long-term outcomes.

Codman was also a public health pioneer, studying hospital outcomes to determine how they could be improved. Codman wrote, "We believe it is the duty of every hospital to establish a follow-up system, so that as far as possible the result of every case will be available at all times for investigation by members of the staff, the trustees, or administration, or by other authorized investigators or statisticians."

[edit] References

1. ^ Berwick D. M. "E. A. Codman and the rhetoric of battle: a commentary." Milbank Quarterly, 67(2): 262-267, 1989.1 5.
2. ^ Donabedian A. "The end results of health care: Ernest Codman's contribution to quality assessment and beyond." Milbank Quarterly, 67(2): 233-256, 1989.

[edit] External links

• Codman Biography on website of New England Shoulder and Elbow Society: http://www.neses.com/news.php
• The Ernest Amory Codman papers can be found at The Center for the History of Medicine at the Countway Library, Harvard Medical School.