What is a risk associated with handwritten medical records?

Handwritten medical records are often associated with the risk of being illegible and lacking necessary information. This illegibility can result from poor handwriting, which can lead to misinterpretation of critical patient information such as medication dosages, allergies, and treatment plans. When information is hard to read, healthcare providers may make errors that could affect patient safety and the quality of care.

Additionally, handwritten records might not include all the required details, leading to gaps in patient care documentation. This lack of thoroughness can complicate continuity of care, especially if another provider needs to access the records for follow-up treatment or if a patient needs to transition to a different facility.

In contrast, the other options highlight aspects that don’t typically convey the inherent risks of handwritten records. For example, accessibility can often be limited if records are stored physically and not systematically organized. Handwritten records can also contain excessive detail but still fail to convey essential information clearly, and they certainly do not benefit from the automatic saving that electronic records provide, which enhances security and traceability.