MD's hand writing

[Leonardo Del Toro, RN]

I cannot believe this. What in the world possesses some MD's that they think it's OK to write riddles so we have to spend precious time dicifering and getting together in groups of guessing games trying to figure out what in the world was the hidden message on these orders. Isn't this order suppose to be extra precise and specific? This should not be acceptable at all, if you go through medical school you should be able to write legibly. Thank the lord computers are taking over this problem. Would't be great if we could just read the order and know what was the meaning rather then spending time decoding, looking online for a case that matches so on and so forth....? Some MD's get ****** if you call them and say you don't know what's in there...I feel like given them a calligraphy book.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

call them. That is one way to "train" them. We cannot take risks in patient care. Being in a hurry is no excuse.

Will be so glad when our orders are all electronic!!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

HooRAH for electronic charting & Physician Order Entry!!! It eliminates this problem all together. Conversion (to POE systems) for US providers has been mandated by changing Federal reimbursement rules. Let's all get on the Meaningful Use train. Who's with me??

[flyingchange]

I heard a story about a physician conference from the presenter. One session addressing electronic order entry. An example of completely illegible orders was posted with the identifying information removed. One MD shouted out "Who could possibly read that?? That's not a real example!"

Said the presenter, "That's YOUR charting, Dr Smith!"

[Leonardo Del Toro, RN]

I heard a story about a physician conference from the presenter. One session addressing electronic order entry. An example of completely illegible orders was posted with the identifying information removed. One MD shouted out "Who could possibly read that?? That's not a real example!"

Said the presenter, "That's YOUR charting, Dr Smith!"

That is priceless...

[DoeRN]

I heard a story about a physician conference from the presenter. One session addressing electronic order entry. An example of completely illegible orders was posted with the identifying information removed. One MD shouted out "Who could possibly read that?? That's not a real example!"

Said the presenter, "That's YOUR charting, Dr Smith!"

Love it! I had a surgeon cuss me out because of his horrible hand writing. I called to clarify and he called me stupid and other choice words.

[amoLucia]

HooRAH for electronic charting & Physician Order Entry!!! It eliminates this problem all together. Conversion (to POE systems) for US providers has been mandated by changing Federal reimbursement rules. Let's all get on the Meaningful Use train. Who's with me??

I would just love it if these programs could also block out 'unofficial' or 'nonstandard' abbreviations and other terms (so there's no guessing what the writer meant). Maybe they already do, but I don't really know much about EMR/electronic charting.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I was once approached by one of the ICU staff with a chart in hand where I was the clin spec. She asked me, "Do you read Barnett?" as if she were saying, "Do you read Farsi?"

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I will call if I ever have questions about the writing--better safe than sorry. Most of my MDs know they have bad writing--one is exceptionally notorious for it--so they don't mind if I call for translations.

[Sadala, ADN, RN]

Some MD's get ****** if you call them and say you don't know what's in there...I feel like given them a calligraphy book.

Do they? Maybe a way for them to stop those phone calls is to write legibly and correctly give the order.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

Physicians have been asked to read their own handwriting while they were on the stand in malpractice trials. Needless to say, It didn't go so well for physicians who couldn't even read their own orders.

This (getting rid of illegible orders) is, for me, the best argument for CPOE.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Our orders are hand written, and one MD has terrible writing. Usually I'm hovering nearby so I can clarify the order. Worst case scenario, we call. But I've learned to read the scribbles over time, which still does not make it acceptable.