Dr. Paul Kotin on Medical Record Abstraction for a Morbidity Study at Asbestos-Using Locations (1979)

A memo of August 6, 1979, from Dr. Paul Kotin to a long distribution list covering Johns-Manville's asbestos-using plants and mines in the United States and Canada. A "retrospective-prospective morbidity study involving all asbestos-using locations," requested and approved by chairman John McKinney, was under way and due to be finished in 1980. From September, a team of medical record technologists under Dr. Gerald Chase, J-M's biostatistician and epidemiologist, would begin abstracting medical records at the locations.

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

In a memorandum dated 8/6/79, Kotin informs of a retrospective-prospective morbidity study involving all asbestos-using locations. The team will be led by Dr. G. Chase. They expect a complete study in 1980. An extensive distribution list is attached.