At a time when most people use keyboards to write, does handwriting really matter? Yes, say Indian courts, if the writer is a doctor.
Jokes around the notoriously bad handwriting of many doctors that can only be deciphered by pharmacists are common in India, as around the world. But the latest order emphasising the importance of clear handwriting came recently from the Punjab and Haryana High Court which said that 'legible medical prescription is a fundamental right' as it can make a difference between life and death.
The court order came in a case that had nothing to do with the written word. It involved allegations of rape, cheating and forgery by a woman, while Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri was hearing the man's petition for bail. During proceedings, he found the medico-legal report written by a government doctor completely incomprehensible. This prompted the court to address the longstanding issue of illegible prescriptions.
Justice Puri stated, 'At a time when technology and computers are easily accessible, it is shocking that government doctors are still writing prescriptions by hand which cannot be read by anybody except perhaps some chemists.' The court has mandated doctors to write prescriptions in capital letters and set a two-year timeline for rolling out digitised prescriptions to enhance clarity.
The Indian Medical Association, representing over 330,000 doctors, supports this new directive but acknowledges the challenges, particularly in rural areas where writing legibly can be more difficult due to high patient loads. Dr. Dilip Bhanushali, president of the association, indicated that while urban doctors have gravitated towards digital prescriptions, many rural practitioners still rely on unclear handwritten notes.
This ruling follows previous directives by various Indian courts calling for improved handwriting, making it evident that emphasis on legibility is not merely rhetorical but a matter of practical concern in ensuring patient safety. Experts highlight that ambiguous prescriptions can lead to severe medical errors, as evidenced by numerous cases of misprescription in India.
In the broader context of healthcare, errors attributed to unclear handwriting pose real risks. A report by the Institute of Medicine highlights that squiggles and scribbles have resulted in thousands of avoidable deaths annually in the U.S. and similar concerns have arisen in other countries.
In conclusion, India's recent court ruling sheds light on a crucial aspect of medical practice — prescription clarity — which is vital for safeguarding patient health and enhancing the doctor's role in healthcare.
