Say Bye To Gibberish Prescriptions As Orissa High Court Orders Doctors To Write In Capital Letters

Poor handwriting causes major distress to readers. Professors in educational institutions often emphasise the importance of clear handwriting with proper spacing to enhance comprehensibility. While students typically improve their handwriting through instruction, the same cannot be said for the general public deciphering doctors’ prescriptions. It’s widely acknowledged that doctors often have notoriously difficult-to-read handwriting. Patients frequently struggle to discern the names of prescribed medicines or medical tests due to doctors’ sloppy handwriting. However, it appears that this trend may be undergoing a transformation.

According to a new directive issued by the Orissa High Court, doctors in all the health departments of the state must write medical prescriptions, medico-legal documents, post-mortem reports, and other health-related papers in legible and clear handwriting or capital letters. Justice SK Panigrahi sent a directive to the Chief Secretary of the Orissa government, requesting that the order be passed on to every medical facility, private clinic, and medical institution for improved accessibility and clarity for public and judiciary assessment.

Following the death of Souvagya Ranjan Bhoi, a resident of the Dhenkanal district, his father, Rasananda Bhoi of Hindol filed a petition with the court that ultimately led to the High Court decision. The post-mortem report of the individual was not legible.

In a statement, the Orissa High Court said, “In many cases, the casual approach of most of the doctors while writing the post-mortem report is affecting the comprehension of medico-legal documents badly and the judicial system finds it very difficult to read those letters and come to a definite conclusion.” The court declared that doctors frequently write in a “zig-zag” style, which makes it challenging for the general public and the legal system to read those documents.

Acknowledging the pressure of doctors, the single-bench judge of the High Court added that although the court “appreciates the services rendered by medical professionals” doctors must change their style of writing for better clarity and understanding. The write-up could be in any form — clear handwriting, type method, or even capital letters.

According to a Time magazine report, sloppy handwriting of doctors causes the death of about 7000 people in the US. A doctor’s bad handwriting is usually attributed to stress, with claims that they are always in a rush, especially because of long work hours and hectic schedules.