“In this day and age of accelerated documentation and compliance requirements and pressure to reduce risk exposure, multiple abbreviations and acronyms are used to expedite the required written processes and still provide time for patient care. Unfortunately, clear, correct, concise communication as well as patient safety suffers because of the habitual use of these shortcuts.” As the federal Department of Health and Human Services moves forward with proposed changes in coding systems using SNOMED (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine by the College of American Pathologists) as a standard, habits of abbreviation must change to comply. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and other accreditation bodies are starting to …