I want to first appologize to any Drs or Nurses who may read this article. I do not intend to offend you in any way, in fact I respect you all for what you do and as fellow healthcare providers. But.... 

If there is one thing that frustrates me more about this feild of work that is trying to interprit the many curves, angles and scribbles of a doctors handwriting. First off cursive was cool, back in like 4th grade. Ok maybe cursive was never really cool at all *laughs*

But in all seriousness when it comes to working commercial EMS and making non-emergency transfers there are many times we have to rely on their writing. Its not like in an emergency where you have to try discourage your patient from sleeping and can (for the most part) get all of their information from them. Also a majority of our patients cant even remember most of their pertinant history let alone extensive medications list.

I remember a couple of nights ago I was taking down information that my CAOx4 pt couldnt remember completley. I had all the paperwork required for an interfacility transfer. Somtimes your lucky and most of their history and meds will be typed up in the discharge summary. But sometimes its not and sometimes you dont even get a discharge summary and the hospital out of lazyness will try to convince us we DONT need it. So anyways back to the transfer... Im trying to write down her medications and it just looks like a bunch of censored profanities from a comic book. So when I go to turn in all of my transfer sheets to the supervisor at the end of my shift hes like what the hell is this (while trying to pronounce what I wrote).

Whats worse is when neither myself nor my partner can make out any writings of information we need I try to ask hospital/facility staff, which in my opinion makes me feel we look incompitent. Last I checked incompitence, even if your not... is not a good thing to show in this line of work.

I will give Drs as much credit as this. They see a greater number of patients at a given moment than we do in the feild. But thats as far as I will go because there really shouldnt be an excuse... take some quick notes and when you get a moment type it up in your typed reports or write it a little neater. Or find someone who has the time to write it neater. Its one thing if its an ER Doc whos fairly busy... but I really dont understand how a much quieter nursing facility still has the same issue.

I have read and even just glanced at many EMS runforms, transfer forms and any other paperwork that we create in the feild and 95% of that I can read. Mind you the roads here in Conntecticut arnt necesarilly the smoothest. While we have more time in the feild to finish our paperwork time is still essential so we can get back on the road. Need I not mention the times where you come across a car accident and now you have yourself with 2 patients at once... thats two sets of paperwork to be completed on top of vitals, assesment... etc. And still even then handwriting seems quite legible.

Im not quite sure what the english/writing requirments are to become a Dr. Im sure a Masters Degree is required before a PhD. But sence I wouldnt know I again appologize if this article is any way offensive. I really do feel that it is important though that they should work on better writing skills... there is alot of untyped but hand written information that we need.

This all comes down to the patient. As selfish as it may sound, that I could just simply try harder to read this horrible writing, I really dont feel we should have to. If time cant be taken to properly and legibly complete paperwork for the one you care for, do you really care enough?

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