Physicians have explained that their handwriting on prescription notes is often difficult for others to read, pointing out that illegible writing is not a characteristic unique to doctors.
They acknowledged that most doctors write quickly, but they suggested that the rapid writing might have been a result of the need to take notes in shorthand during medical school to keep up with lecturers' dictation.
Doctors generally concur that deciphering certain doctors' prescription notes can sometimes be an enormous task for patients, pharmacists, and other medical professionals.
The Canadian Medical Association states in an article on its website, "Why do doctors have bad handwriting," that despite their extensive education and a profession demanding meticulous attention to detail, doctors often struggle to write legibly.
Researchers found that doctors' writing does not stand out from other healthcare professionals, such as hospital executives, clinicians, and managers, in terms of quality.
The association emphasized that it is crucial for patients to comprehend their health status and the advantages and disadvantages of available treatment options, regardless of whether this information is conveyed through a paper document or an email.
Doctors, who spoke in separate exclusive interviews with PUNCH Healthwise, contended that while doctors' handwriting is always a topic of conversation, other professions also have individuals with poor handwriting.
A Public Health Physician and Epidemiologist, Dr. Japhet Olugbogi, stated to our correspondent that with a high patient turnover, doctors often write prescriptions quickly and treat as many patients as they can.
In his opinion, medical professionals have incredibly demanding schedules, with a constant stream of patients coming and going, and they dislike it when patients have to wait for extended periods.
The senior healthcare professional observed that doctors' tendency to attend to all waiting patients on their clinic days affects their writing style, which can sometimes appear hasty.
Because of this, our handwriting becomes very, very poor. There is a common misconception that doctors intentionally write illegibly so that their patients cannot read it. No, that is not true. We do not do that.
In my observation, our handwriting deteriorates when we rush to complete our thoughts. We're often in a rush to diagnose a patient and provide treatment, so we can move on to the next case.
It all began during my time in medical school. There were numerous things to transcribe, numerous notes to jot down, and lecturers would dictate at a rapid pace, making it essential to keep up.
"We had to read extensively, produce a significant amount of written work, and cover a large number of pages within a short timeframe, which negatively impacted our handwriting," Olugbogi said.
According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, approximately 1.5 million injuries occur annually due to pharmacists and healthcare workers misinterpreting poorly written prescriptions. This type of medication-related handwriting error results in up to 7,000 American fatalities each year.
On his part, a Consultant Paediatrician, Ayodele Renner, argued that it was an exaggeration to claim that doctors have the worst handwriting among professionals.
He notes that many professionals, including lawyers, often have poor handwriting, yet their work is not subject to the same level of public scrutiny.
He contended that, despite the difficulty, measures can be taken to enhance handwriting for greater legibility.
The child health advocate stated, "Doctors frequently need to write rapidly because of the large number of patients they see every day. Taking the time to write legibly could result in fewer patients being seen, which may not be feasible."
Some speculate that doctors intentionally write prescriptions that are difficult to read in order to prevent patients from self-medicating, but this is largely a misconception.
“However, the notion that doctors consistently write poorly is largely a misconception.”
A general practitioner in Lagos, Dr Cindy Madu, explained that doctors' handwriting can be illegible because most physicians write quickly.
“Sloppy handwriting isn't exclusive to any particular profession. Nevertheless, in medical school, tasks are typically done in a hurry, yet I can tell you that there are several doctors whose handwriting is still legible,” Madu said.
According to Dr. Laadi Swende, a Family Physician at the Federal Medical Centre in Makurdi, Benue State, sloppy handwriting is not unique to doctors. She notes that physicians often write quickly due to the pressure of their work.
Just because someone without medical knowledge can't decipher a doctor's handwriting doesn't make it illegible.
"It's not accurate to make a blanket statement that all doctors have poor handwriting. Most medical prescriptions are hard to read, but they shouldn't be that way," Swende said.
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