(1)ȱ ȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ›ŽœŽ—Žȱ Šœȱ ™˜œŽ›ȱ Šȱ ‘Žȱ ŝ‘ȱ œ’Šȱ ŠŒ’’Œȱ Ž’ŒŠ•ȱ žŒŠ’˜—ȱ ˜—Ž›Ž—ŒŽȱǻǼǰȱŽ‹›žŠ›¢ȱŝǰȱŘŖŗŖǰȱ’—ȱ’—Š™˜›Žǯȱ ȱ ȱŠž‘˜›DZȱŠ›Œ’œ˜ȱǯȱŠ™’Šǰȱǰȱȱ Ž’ŒŠ•ȱžŒŠ’˜—ȱ—’ȱ Ž‹žȱ—œ’žŽȱ˜ȱŽ’Œ’—Žȱ ǯȱŠ–˜œȱ›ŽŽǰȱŽ‹žȱ’¢ǰȱ‘’•’™™’—ŽœȱŜŖŖŖȱ Ž•ŽŠ¡DZȱƸŜřřŘȱŘśśśŝśŜȱ –Š’•DZȱ ȓ–Š’•ǯŒ˜–ȱ ˜–™Š›’œ˜—ȱ˜ȱ‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—ȱœŠŽȱ›ŠŒ’ŒŽœȱ’—ȱ ˜ȱ‘’•’™™’—ŽȱŽ›’Š›¢ȱ ˜œ™’Š•œȱŠ—ȱŽ›ŒŽ’ŸŽȱŽŒœȱ˜—ȱŽ’ŒŠ•ȱ›Š’—’—ȱȱ ȱ Š›Œ’œ˜ȱǯȱŠ™’ŠŗȱŠ—ȱ˜œŽȱ•Ÿ’—ȱǯȱ˜“’ŒŠŘȱ ȱ ŗŽ’ŒŠ•ȱžŒŠ’˜—ȱ—’ǰȱŽ‹žȱ—œ’žŽȱ˜ȱŽ’Œ’—ŽǰȱŽ‹žȱ’¢ǰȱ‘’•’™™’—Žœȱ ؊’˜—Š•ȱŽŠŒ‘Ž›ȱ›Š’—’—ȱŽ—Ž›ȱ˜›ȱ‘ŽȱŽŠ•‘ȱ›˜Žœœ’˜—œǰȱȱ —’ŸŽ›œ’¢ȱ˜ȱ‘Žȱ‘’•’™™’—ŽœȱŠ—’•Šȱ ȱ ȱ ABSTRACT Objectives

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ȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȏȱ ȱ

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›ŽœŽ—Žȱ Šœȱ ™˜œŽ›ȱ Šȱ ‘Žȱ ŝ^‘ȱ œ’Šȱ ŠŒ’’Œȱ Ž’ŒŠ•ȱ žŒŠ’˜—ȱ

˜—Ž›Ž—ŒŽȱǻǼǰȱŽ‹›žŠ›¢ȱŝǰȱŘŖŗŖǰȱ’—ȱ’—Š™˜›Žǯȱ ȱ

˜››Žœ™˜—’—ȱŠž‘˜›DZȱŠ›Œ’œ˜ȱǯȱŠ™’Šǰȱǰȱȱ

Ž’ŒŠ•ȱžŒŠ’˜—ȱ—’ȱ

Ž‹žȱ—œ’žŽȱ˜ȱŽ’Œ’—Žȱ

ǯȱŠ–˜œȱ›ŽŽǰȱŽ‹žȱ’¢ǰȱ‘’•’™™’—ŽœȱŜŖŖŖȱ

Ž•ŽŠ¡DZȱƸŜřřŘȱŘśśśŝśŜȱ

–Š’•DZȱ—Š›Œ’œ˜Š™’Šȓ–Š’•ǯŒ˜–ȱ

˜–™Š›’œ˜—ȱ˜ȱ‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—ȱœŠŽȱ›ŠŒ’ŒŽœȱ’—ȱ ˜ȱ‘’•’™™’—ŽȱŽ›’Š›¢ȱ

˜œ™’Š•œȱŠ—ȱŽ›ŒŽ’ŸŽȱŽŒœȱ˜—ȱŽ’ŒŠ•ȱ›Š’—’—ȱȱ ȱ

Š›Œ’œ˜ȱǯȱŠ™’Š^ŗȱŠ—ȱ˜œŽȱ•Ÿ’—ȱǯȱ˜“’ŒŠ^Řȱ ȱ

ŗŽ’ŒŠ•ȱžŒŠ’˜—ȱ—’ǰȱŽ‹žȱ—œ’žŽȱ˜ȱŽ’Œ’—ŽǰȱŽ‹žȱ’¢ǰȱ‘’•’™™’—Žœȱ

؊’˜—Š•ȱŽŠŒ‘Ž›ȱ›Š’—’—ȱŽ—Ž›ȱ˜›ȱ‘ŽȱŽŠ•‘ȱ›˜Žœœ’˜—œǰȱȱ

—’ŸŽ›œ’¢ȱ˜ȱ‘Žȱ‘’•’™™’—ŽœȱŠ—’•Šȱ

ȱ ȱ ABSTRACT

Objectives. To (1) compare abbreviation usage practices in the Doctors’ Orders and History Sheet in two tertiary hospitals in Cebu City, namely, Cebu Velez General Hospital (CVGH) and Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC); (2) determine why medical students and physicians use abbreviations and (3) determine the perceived effects on medical student training.

Methods. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study utilizing medical chart reviews as well as group and key informant interviews. Stratified Random Sampling with Proportionate Allocation was used to select 100 charts each from CVGH and VSMMC. Purposive sampling was done for key informants.

Results. All patients' clinical history, physical examination and doctors’ orders in all departments of both hospitals contained abbreviations. First initialization was the most common form, e.g. BP (blood pressure). Non-universally-accepted abbreviations were common, e.g. HFD (heredofamilial disease). Potentially dangerous abbreviations were noted, e.g. d/c, D/C.

Abbreviations were used to maintain patient-doctor confidentiality, save space and time, and for convenience.

Perceived effects on medical training included speeding up of task performance.

Conclusions. Use of abbreviations in medical charts among medical students and physicians in both private and public tertiary hospitals in the Philippines is a prevalent practice. While such has its perceived benefits, it also poses potential danger to patients because not all abbreviations are understood and used the same way. Medical schools and their training hospitals must initiate moves to standardize the use of abbreviations in medical education and promote awareness of their potential dangers.

The authors suggest that potential dangers/benefits of abbreviations be formally introduced in medical school as a separate topic.

Key Words: abbreviation usage among medical students, perceived effects, medical training

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—›˜žŒ’˜—ȱ

—ȱŠ‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—ȱ’œȱŠȱœ‘˜›Ž—Žȱ˜›–ȱ˜ȱ ˜›ȱ˜›ȱ™‘›ŠœŽǯȱ

ȱ ’œȱ ‹Šœ’ŒŠ••¢ȱ Šȱ œ‘˜›Œžȱ Š—ȱ ’œȱ ™›ŽŸŠ•Ž—ŒŽȱ ’—ȱ –Ž’ŒŠ•ȱ

›Š’—’—ȱ ’œȱ –ŠŽȱ –˜›Žȱ ™›˜‹Š‹•Žȱ Žœ™ŽŒ’Š••¢ȱ ’—ȱ ˜Š¢Ȃœȱ

Ž—Ž›Š’˜—ȱ ˜ȱ œžŽ—œȱ Š—ȱ ™‘¢œ’Œ’Š—œȱ ”—˜ —ȱ Šœȱ ‘Žȱ Žȱ Ž—Ž›Š’˜—ȱ˜›ȱ’••Ž—’Š•œȱ ‘˜ȱ¢™’ŒŠ••¢ȱ˜ȱ—˜ȱ Š—ȱ˜ȱ›ŽŠȱ

•Š›Žȱ Š–˜ž—œȱ ˜ȱ Ž¡ǯȱ ’••Ž—’Š•œȱ Š›Žȱ ŽœŒ›’‹Žȱ Šœȱ ‘ŠŸ’—ȱ

›˜ —ȱž™ȱ ’‘ȱŽŒ‘—˜•˜¢ȱ ’‘ȱ‘ŽȱŠ‹’•’¢ȱ˜ȱ–ž•’Šœ”ȱŠ—ȱ

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‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—œȱ Š•˜—ȱ  ’‘ȱ œ¢–‹˜•œȱ Š›Žȱ ȃdz›ŽšžŽ—•¢ȱ

žœŽȱ˜ȱœŠŸŽȱ’–ŽȱŠ—ȱŽ˜›ȱ ‘Ž—ȱ ›’’—ȱ™›ŽœŒ›’™’˜—œȱŠ—ȱ

˜Œž–Ž—’—ȱ’—ȱ™Š’Ž—ȱŒ‘Š›œǯȄ^ȱŘȱȱ

’žȱǭȱžœœ’Ž›ȱ™˜’—Žȱ˜žȱ‘Šǰȱȃ›’’—ȱŠŸ˜›œȱ‹›ŽŸ’¢ȱ

‹ŽŒŠžœŽȱ ’–Žȱ ™›Žœœž›Žœȱ ˜Ž—ȱ ™›ŽŸŽ—ȱ –Ž’ŒŠ•ȱ œ™ŽŒ’Š•’œœȱ

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Š—ȱ ™‘›ŠœŽœȱ Š›Žȱ •˜—ȱ Š—ȱ Š‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—œȱ Š›Žȱ Šȱ Œ˜—ŸŽ—’Ž—ȱ  Š¢ȱ˜ȱœ‘˜›Ž—ȱ‘Ž–ǯȄ^ȱřȱ

˜—’’ŸŽȱ™œ¢Œ‘˜•˜’œȱ Ž˜›Žȱ’••Ž›Ȃœȱ‘Ž˜›¢ȱœŽŽ–œȱ˜ȱ

œž™™˜›ȱ ‘’œǯȱ Žȱ Ž¡™•Š’—Žȱ ‘Šȱ Š—ȱ ’—’Ÿ’žŠ•ȱ Ž—œȱ ˜ȱ

‘Š—•Žȱ ’—˜›–Š’˜—ȱ ‹ŽŽ›ȱ  ‘Ž—ȱ ’ȱ ’œȱ Œ˜—ŸŽ›Žȱ ’—˜ȱ

–Š—ŠŽŠ‹•ŽȱŒ‘ž—”œǯ^Śȱȱ

—˜›–Š’˜—ǰȱ’—ȱ‘Žȱ˜›–ȱ˜ȱ–Ž’ŒŠ•ȱŽ›–œǰȱŠ™™ŽŠ›œȱ˜ȱ‹Žȱ

–˜›Žȱ ŽŠœ’•¢ȱ ™›˜ŒŽœœŽȱ Š—ȱ ›ŽŠ’—Žȱ ’ȱ Œ˜—ŸŽ›Žȱ ˜ȱ Šȱ

Œ˜—ŸŽ—’Ž—ȱȃŒ‘ž—”ȄȱȬȬȱ’œȱŠ‹‹›ŽŸ’ŠŽȱ˜›–ǯȱ‘žœǰȱ’ȱŠ™™ŽŠ›œȱ

‘ŠȱŠ‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—œȱ–Š¢ȱ‘ŠŸŽȱœ˜–Žȱ™˜œ’’ŸŽȱ˜žŒ˜–Žœǯȱ

˜ ŽŸŽ›ǰȱ‘Ž›Žȱ’œȱŠ•œ˜ȱŠȱ—ŽŠ’ŸŽȱœ’Žȱ˜ȱŠ‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—œǯȱȱ

Š—¢ȱ Š‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—œȱ žœŽȱ ’—ȱ –Ž’Œ’—Žȱ Š›Žȱ Š–‹’ž˜žœǯȱ

—ȱ Ž¡Š–™•Žȱ ’œȱ ‘Žȱ Š‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—ȱ ȃȄȱ  ‘’Œ‘ȱ  Šœȱ žœŽȱ ’ŸŽȱ

’Ž›Ž—ȱ ’–Žœȱ  ’‘ȱ ˜ž›ȱ ’Ž›Ž—ȱ –ŽŠ—’—œȱ ’—ȱ Šȱ œŽȱ ˜ȱ

˜›Ž›œǯ^Řȱ

ž™™˜›’—ȱ‘ŽȱŽ¡’œŽ—ŒŽȱ˜ȱ‘’œȱŠ–‹’ž’¢ǰȱ’žǰȱžœœ’Ž›ȱ

Š—ȱ ›’Ž–Š—ȱ ›Ž™˜›Žȱ ‘Šȱ —’’Žȱ Ž’ŒŠ•ȱ Š—žŠŽȱ

¢œŽ–ȱ Š‹‹›ŽŸ’Š’˜—œȱ  Ž›Žȱ ȃdz‘’‘•¢ȱ Š–‹’ž˜žœDZȱ řřǯŗƖȱ ˜ȱ

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