STAT January 14, 2026
Symbols add new layer of meaning to records, but could introduce risk through interpretation errors
At Michigan Medicine, clinicians aren’t supposed to use symbols in medical records. So it came as a surprise to researchers when a survey of the health system’s electronic medical records found thousands of emoji in messages to patients, visit summaries, and post-visit instructions.
Most were in the smiley lexicon — ? topped the list of common emoji — while others, like ?️ and ?, might map to symptoms or treatments. Still others were more inscrutable.
Emoji use is still rare in clinical records. In a study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open, the Michigan researchers found that between 2020 and 2024, fewer than...
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