For those unfamiliar with medical records, reviewing documentation can be a challenge. Medical records include many abbreviations and medical terminology consisting of Latin and Greek terms. Some abbreviations, such as PT and DC, have multiple meanings. Little attention is paid to punctuation and grammar in medical records, and spelling errors can make them difficult to read. Legal nurse consultants play a central role not only in translating medical records, but also in identifying their legal meaning, including standards of care, causation and damages. But even LNCs can have difficulty interpreting records when handwritten documentation is illegible. As nurses, we have all dealt with doctors and others who had very poor handwriting. In a clinical situation, the nurse may speak with the doctor to ask for clarification, for example on illegible orders. It is not as easy once a lawsuit is considered or has been filed. In-house and independent LNCs may not be able to informally clarify cases with caseworkers, depending on the circumstances of the case and whether the LNCs are working for the plaintiff or the defense. To maintain objectivity, expert LNCs never speak with non-client caregivers. Deciphering horrible handwriting from medical records is a skill that many legal nurse consultants learn through trial and error. This discussion focuses on physician handwriting, but the principles also apply to other types of healthcare providers. Here are some tips to help new LNCs trying to decipher illegible handwriting. Use your judgment to decide how much time to spend deciphering bad writing. All medical records are important, but some are more important than others. For example, it may not be......the middle of a sheet......iter notes in one sitting. Sometimes you will be able to read words in a later note, which will help you understand earlier notes. Conversely, it may be helpful to let the decryption task sit for a day or two if possible. Sometimes words that escaped you earlier will appear to you after a few days. Use the “fresh look” process. If you have access to another legal nurse consultant, ask them to view the problematic writing and make suggestions. Even using these principles, there may still be unreadable documents or parts of documents that you will not be able to interpret. When this happens, inform the attorney of the indecipherable notes and the potential meaning of those notes. The attorney may then decide to depose the treater or obtain a transcription of the treater's notes, depending on the circumstances and specifics of the case...