The American Medical Association, at its 1994 conference, found unreadable prescriptions and medical records to be a major health hazard. Statistics established that at least 1 in 10 Americans' health is endangered by physicians' handwriting. The American Society of Hospital Pharmacists estimates that poor penmanship may contribute to a death a day because of improper medications or wrong dosages. It reported illegible information on 58 percent of all medical records. More than 100 million pieces of illegibly addressed mail in dead-letter files.
Bad handwriting is like mumbling.
Poor penmanship may show up in a lack of discipline, bad spelling, illegible paperwork and poor communication. John Rosemond, a family psychologist and nationally-syndicated columnist, advocates the return to the teaching of the Palmer Method in our 21st century schools. Back then, some children even practiced their handwriting to the rhythm of music coming from old wind-up Victrola phonographs. Penmanship was one of the basics, one of the three R's in the classroom. Betty Van Velzen would've liked to see a renewed emphasis on penmanship.