Did you ever walk out of a doctor's appointment, prescription in hand, puzzling over the spindly, spider-like writing and wondering what it could mean? The inscrutable handwriting of medical professionals is almost as renowned as their healing ability, birthing countless jokes, memes, and critiques.
The questions and curiosity that spring into mind while reasoning about the cryptic penmanship by doctors are more widespread than one would fathom. According to studies carried out by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, as many as 7,000 deaths have been reported in America alone per annum as a result of illegible handwriting on prescriptions. Why do the doctors, who are rather known for their precision and accuracy, write like this?
The Science Behind Doctors' Handwriting
The Apparently Unreadable Scrawl of Doctors is Justified from the Medical School Slog. Entering a medical school, one is introduced to quite a rigorous type of study, where an astronomical volume of information is to be digested within a very short span. That sets loose an incessant note-taking process, making a student get into the habit of illegible, breakneck handwriting.
"You're trained to be on your feet, taking constant notes and writing orders objectively," says Miranda Kay, RN Medical Editor at Nursa, a platform that provides real-time staffing solutions in healthcare. "Over the years, this hurried writing style becomes ingrained and maddeningly tough to change," he remarks.
Moreover, because of the heavy workload, doctors are normally sleep-deprived, and sooner or later, the fatigue reflects in their handwriting, which becomes relatively less readable, according to a study conducted by the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Deciphering 'Doc' Talk
The style of handwriting is sometimes undecipherable, but primarily, there are some common tips to read this writing:
- Compare it to typewriter characters: Notice how the majority of all characters in typewriting are of a similar shape and pattern. This should enable you to at least attempt to read what your doctor has written.
- Look out for medical lingo: Doctors use abbreviations of medical terms while writing out prescriptions. For example, 'p.c.' means 'post cibum' or 'after meals'.
- Take note of context: Use the rest of your diagnosis, or a sentence to understand a word. Sometimes when a word is scribbled and incomprehensible on its own, the surrounding words trigger its meaning.
"It's not about cracking a code," insists Miranda Kay, RN. "It's about understanding the context of your health. Knowing simple medical terminologies helps you stay informed and allows for better communication with your physician."
Can a Doctor's Handwriting Be Improved?
It is not an impossible mission to solve the problem of illegible handwriting. Medical schools have already started to address the issue by introducing handwriting classes to their students. No less important than this is the arrival of electronic health records, which might soon make all concerns about indecipherable handwriting redundant.
"We are moving towards digitalization, with the potential to eliminate risks and confusion centered around handwriting," states Kay. "Yet, until then, understanding your medical prescriptions is an essential aspect of taking charge of your health."
Post courtesy https://nursa.com/
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