We live in a digital world where AI has taken over literally everything. Anyone who has visited a doctor knows how difficult it can be to read handwritten prescriptions- like what exactly is written and what is the solution to a certain problem or disease. Patients commonly depend on pharmacists to correctly understand the medicines and dosages.
With the growth of artificial intelligence (AI), the question arises: Will AI ever be able to read a doctor’s handwriting reliably?
Why prescriptions are hard to read
Doctors usually write quickly, using short forms and medical symbols. This makes their handwriting look complex, inconsistent and difficult to understand- many a time, it is usually made fun of. Even humans who are struggling to interpret it, so as to ease the job, teaching a computer to read the same handwriting is a major challenge.
How does AI try to read handwriting?
AI uses a technology called Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which can scan handwritten or printed text and convert it into digital form. Modern AI systems combine OCR with machine learning to identify letters, patterns, and even context. Some AI tools are already being trained with thousands of prescription samples to recognise common drug names and instructions.
Can AI be reliable for prescriptions?
While AI has improved in reading normal handwriting, medical prescriptions are still a tough task. The reasons include:
- Doctors often use non-standard short forms.
- Handwriting styles differ from doctor to doctor.
- Many drug names sound or look similar, which can create confusion.
For AI to be reliable, it must be trained on a massive collection of real-world prescriptions and be tested with high accuracy to avoid life-threatening mistakes.
Benefits of AI in Healthcare
If perfected, AI could help in:
- Reducing prescription errors.
- Making it easier for patients to understand their medicines.
- Helping pharmacists save time.
- Supporting digital medical records for future use.
AI will play an important role in the healthcare system
Experts believe AI will play an important role in the healthcare system, but it might not completely replace pharmacists or doctors in reading prescriptions. Instead, AI could act as an assistant, giving suggestions and cross-checking medicine names, while humans verify the final output for safety.