A doctor's poorly written medical report has fuelled an online outcry and renewed calls for electronic versions. (Photo/Beijing Morning Post)
(ECNS) -- A doctor's poorly written medical report has fuelled an online outcry and renewed calls for electronic versions, Beijing Morning Post reports.
A resident in Lianyungang City of east China's Jiangsu Province complained that hand-written medical records and prescriptions he received at larger and smaller hospitals were almost illegible.
Netizens from across the country shared their confusion over the scratchy handwriting of doctors. Some called for the latter to be more patient in writing out reports and descriptions while fully understanding their work is stressful.
According to a handwriting guide issued by China’s health authorities in 2010, medical records need to be clearly written, and doctors should use medical terms with accurate language and punctuation.
Yet the regulation has failed to eliminate messily written medication names or dosages although six years passed, according to the report. It’s not rare to find some characters written like curves and strokes too connected to be discernible.
A doctor at a hospital’s endocrinology department said she formed the habit of writing quickly after working for 10 years because there are simply too many patients to see.
“I have to diagnose 60 patients in half a day,” she explained. “So I simplify use certain frequent characters to save time.”
Liu Yuanli, president of the School of Public Health at Peking Union Medical College, said the best way to improve the situation is use of electronic medical records.
Authorities in many regions make irregular checks of doctor’s writing. Seven doctors in East China’s Zhejiang Province had their bonuses reduced for illegible writing last year.
