Medical records have existed for many years. Already in the 16th century. Today they are known as electronic health records and are a vital part of patient care, as well as the use of information for demographic and research purposes. In the past records were not kept very well, if at all. This article will trace the evolution of medical records to the ones we use today. This article will explore how documents were preserved in the 16th century to how they are preserved today. The importance of these recordings will also be explored, as well as the methods that were developed. In the 16th century, medical records were kept primarily as observations of what the doctor learned about a patient or the human body and not so much as a record of the patient's health and well-being. Two men, Simon Foreman and his protégé Richard Napier, were astrologers in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Forman began record keeping and after his death Napier took over. They treated patients based on what was happening in the stars rather than what was happening in their bodies. Of course, this was not helpful for patients at all. Furthermore, by all accounts, neither Napier nor Foreman had a very good reputation. Although, somehow, there were still people, many people who consulted them when they were sick. Why this happens is never explained. However, they did something no one else had done before, they recorded their patients' symptoms. Both of these men were prolific recorders. Overall they saw up to 50,000 people. These documents or case registers, as they are known, contained: “At least 90% of the questions concerned matters of health and disease. The rest included questions about marriage, career prospects, people… half the paper… in a standardized format, so doctors couldn't easily compare notes (Olivia Banner. (2012).). Now everything has changed with the use of computers. Records are easier to find, share and enter data. Medical records are now called patient records. This is because the records concern the patient as a whole and not just what the doctor observed or did. These medical records are now a legal document and are the property of the doctor and his practice. Medical records, as you can see, are very important not only for the doctor but also for the patient. Throughout history they have evolved into not just a record of observations to prove the doctor was right or to use as a way to collect payment, but as a way to monitor a patient's health and well-being. Medical records are very important and will continue to be very important in the days and years to come.