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3 Ways to Avoid Illegible Handwriting in Medical Records

3 ways to avoid illegible handwriting in medical records and shows 9 problems that cause from doctor's handwriting

Have you ever seen a viral post on social media about a doctor’s handwriting on a medical report and tried to decipher it? This might seem humorous or challenging, but did you know that this is no laughing matter for many people?


Illegible doctor’s handwriting creates significant problems for fellow medical staff and patients alike. Today, MEDcury invites everyone to explore the 9 issues arising from difficult-to-read doctor’s handwriting and reveals the ultimate solutions to address this problem effectively.


9 Issues Arising from Illegible Doctor's Handwriting


1. Medical Errors


Writing medical orders or prescriptions with illegible handwriting can lead to major disasters in treatment and medication dispensing, causing serious consequences for patients.


Errors in diagnosis, treatment, and medication that arise from difficult-to-read handwriting come in many forms, such as prescribing incorrect medication doses, wrong types of medication, incorrect dosage strengths, improper medication usage, wrong patient surgeries, wrong side surgeries, wrong site surgeries, and incorrect procedures. For example:


  • A medical staff member writes the number 1, but the reader might mistakenly interpret it as a 7.

  • A medical staff member forgets to include a decimal point or writes too closely together, turning 1.0 into 10, potentially resulting in a medication error 10 times the intended dose.

  • A medical staff member performs surgery on a lump in the upper chest, whereas the surgery should have been on the lower chest.


2. Impact on Interdepartmental Collaboration


It’s not hard to guess that those who have to read and decode this illegible handwriting are none other than fellow medical staff. Long-time colleagues might get used to it, but some never do.


Each year, new medical students join the team, and staff members transfer in and out. This can create problems for coworkers, impacting other work because they have to spend time deciphering handwriting or asking for clarification.


3. Increased Workload and Longer Work Time

Illegible handwriting can lead to incorrect communication. As mentioned, coworkers have to spend time deciphering handwriting or asking for clarification, effectively increasing their workload and extending work time.


4. Delayed Patient Treatment

Hospital environments are always busy, and every second counts. Slower work pace due to illegible handwriting affects the quality of patient care, particularly regarding wait times, causing treatment delays.


Misunderstandings due to illegible handwriting may also lead to unnecessary diagnostic tests for the patient’s condition.


5. Patient Confusion and Misunderstanding of Medication and Health Care Instructions


Even after hospital treatment, patients often need to continue self-care. Many patients struggle to understand how to manage their medication, wound care, diet control, physical therapy, and more.


If these instructions are written illegibly, it creates confusion and can negatively impact follow-up care and overall patient health.


6. Increased Risk of Adverse Patient Reactions

Illegible and unclear handwriting can lead to inaccurate communication of important information, causing serious consequences for patients, including adverse reactions, delayed treatment, and potentially life-threatening situations.


7. Complications in Medical Billing and Reimbursement

Writing medical documents such as medical certificates and insurance claim forms with illegible handwriting can cause complications and delays in medical billing and reimbursement from both government and private sectors.


Staff involved in this process may misinterpret the information, especially disease and procedure codes (ICD-10), leading to billing and reimbursement issues, including claim rejections or delayed payments.


8. Legal or Regulatory Complaints

All these issues can lead to legal or regulatory consequences for the medical staff writing illegibly and their colleagues who interpret the handwriting. They might face complaints or lawsuits if patients suffer harm or inconvenience.


9. Impact on Hospital Reputation and Revenue

Illegible handwriting causing medical errors or reduced treatment quality can risk patient safety, affecting both physical and mental health.


Patients might complain or even file lawsuits. Hospitals might incur legal costs and have to compensate patients or their families.

In today’s world, news spreads quickly through word of mouth, social media, and major news outlets. This can severely damage a hospital’s long-standing reputation and potentially reduce its revenue.


Paperless Hospital: The Ultimate Solution to Illegible Doctor's Handwriting


One permanent solution to the problem of illegible doctor's handwriting is transforming a hospital into a paperless facility or "Paperless Hospital," where there is no longer a need for handwritten notes. So, how can this be achieved? Read on below to find out.


3 Ways to Transform Your Hospital into a Paperless Facility to Address Illegible Doctor's Handwriting


1. Implement a Hospital Information System (HIS)


Utilizing a HIS system enables the recording and storage of documents online through typing or selecting options within the system. This eliminates the need for handwritten notes that can be difficult to decipher, reducing the risk of errors associated with illegible handwriting.


2. Adopt Electronic Medical Records (EMR)


Switching from paper-based medical records to electronic medical records reduces reliance on handwritten documents. This transition makes it easier to read and understand records, enhancing the overall efficiency of the treatment process and improving patient safety.


3. Use Electronic Documents

Daily, medical staff and hospital personnel generate numerous documents such as medical certificates, nursing records, and more. Converting these paper documents to electronic formats resolves the issue of unreadable handwriting.


Additionally, it reduces paper use, saves hospital costs, and supports digital workflows that align with current patient behaviors.


MEDHIS and MEDHIS Lite: The Ultimate Tools to Eliminate Illegible Doctor's Handwriting


In the busy medical environment, clear communication is crucial to ensure that important information is conveyed accurately. MEDHIS and MEDHIS Lite are key tools designed to enhance your ability to record and transfer information without relying on handwritten notes or paper documents.

MEDHIS and MEDHIS Lite are HIS systems from MEDcury, offering a cloud-based, web-based HIS solution that includes Electronic Medical Records (EMR), medication ordering menus, patient transfer menus between departments, and financial and accounting menus.


Medical staff and hospital personnel can perform all tasks online in real-time, ensuring seamless coordination while adhering to strict regulations and international security standards.


This allows medical personnel to work efficiently and deliver high-quality services to patients, who can then receive care safely and comfortably.


Additionally, these systems help hospitals reduce resource use and costs, and support the hospital in achieving EMRAM standards from HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society).


Interested in implementing MEDHIS or MEDHIS Lite in your organization?


At MEDcury, we are ready to provide professional advice. You can discuss or inquire for more information about MEDHIS with our experts at



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