Physicians are notorious for bad handwriting. Reading some doctors' prescription orders has been likened to deciphering hieroglyphics or interpreting the Rosetta Stone. But though society once made light of their indiscernible scratches and scrawls, doctors' bad handwriting is no longer a laughing matter. According to Paul B. Hackmeyer, MD, Chief of the Medical Staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, poor handwriting can be dangerous -- if not deadly.
"Bad handwriting can lead to dramatic medication errors," explained Dr. Hackmeyer, "while clear, easy-to-read handwriting can help protect patients from the consequences of taking the wrong medicine. On Tuesday, May 9, we are offering a special class in handwriting for members of our medical staff. Though Cedars-Sinai medical staff consistently rates high in customer satisfaction, we realize that many of our physicians don't write legibly and we wanted to take the initiative and address this concern."
Dr. Hackmeyer said that the medical staff decided to offer this class in response to recent national studies, like that of the Institute of Medicine, which highlight the need to reduce medical errors. He cited a widely publicized 1999 case in Texas where a jury awarded a woman $450,000 because her husband died from taking the wrong medication. "Because of the doctor's poor penmanship, the pharmacist mistakenly gave him a different medication," said Hackmeyer. "This tragic situation is certainly a cautionary tale for everyone in the medical profession."
In order to create interest in the handwriting class, Dr. Hackmeyer borrowed basic techniques from Madison Avenue. He had the Medical Center create posters and flyers featuring a photo likeness -- and cryptic penmanship -- of Marshal Fichman, MD, a longtime kidney specialist at Cedars-Sinai. "Dr. Fichman is our poster child' for the 'handwriting challenged,'" said Dr. Hackmeyer. "He's been such a good sport about this. In addition, we're
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Contact: Anita Roark
anita.roark@cshs.org
310-423-4039
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
25-Apr-2000