Chicken Scratch: The Illegibility of Physician Handwriting in Clinical Practice by

The illegible chicken scratch characteristic of physicians has been the affectionate criticism of the profession for as long as most can remember. Lay people even joke that “physicians go to medical school to learn to write illegibly while pharmacists go to school to learn how to read what doctors write.” (Hughes, 2003). However, besides being an overgeneralization, this myth may even have fatal consequences. Studies have shown there to be at least some truth to this myth physicians do tend to write more illegibly than both their colleagues in the health system and those in other professions. The question then becomes one of causality did the physician always write in chicken scratch or did something in his medical training or practice turn his script into illegible scrawl? Perhaps more important than the etiology of illegible handwriting are the potential consequences. In 1999, the illegible handwriting on the prescription of a cardiologist resulted in the death of his patient, not to mention a $225,000 fine to the cardiologist. Cases such as this have prompted the medical profession to re-evaluate its blasé attitude toward illegible handwriting. Medical schools, regulatory bodies and hospitals are beginning to implement rules and technology that aim to improve written communication.