The Joint Commission says "not acceptable" to text orders for patients

Last week, the Joint Commission issued a notice that said that it was not acceptable for physicians and other health care professionals to text orders for patients in hospitals. Here's the excerpt:

Texting Orders

Is it acceptable for physicians and licensed independent practitioners (and other practitioners allowed to write orders) to text orders for patients to the hospital or other healthcare setting?

No it is not acceptable for physicians or licensed independent practitioners to text orders for patients to the hospital or other healthcare setting. This method provides no ability to verify the identity of the person sending the text and there is no way to keep the original message as validation of what is entered into the medical record.