Forbidden to use expanders, macros, etc! SM
Posted By: IC MT on 2009-08-25
In Reply to:
We were told informed today that we are absolutely forbidden to use any type of word expanders, shortcuts, normals, macros, templates, etc. The client complained about the quality of the work. I would think QA is the one who needs to pay more attention to what is getting through. I've been doing this for 23 years with no complaints....not recently anyway. How is a person supposed to make enough to survive being when paid by production and not allowed to make use of their productivity tools? There's no way! 
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Load DQS first, then expanders. DQS will disable expanders otherwise. sm
Not sure about the compatibility of DQS and WebCorrect files.
Forbidden 2nd jobs?
I am told some companies forbid you to work a second job. Anyone know what companies do this? Does Keystrokes?
macros, macros, macros.
put diseases, fractures, syndromes, etc. in macros, name them syndrome1, syndrome2, disease1, disease2, when you hear something unfamiliar put it in a macro, if the name is something you may not remember, something odd, then name it; for example, I have macro syndrome1, which expands to Guillain-Barr, then I also have it under gui macro; then syndrome2 (which is Turner's syndrome), etc., do the same with disease or fracture, such as fracture1, Salter-Harris II, fracture 2 is Bucket-handle fracture, etc.
Lots of macros
Don't forget to macro your English phrases - wtp=with the patient, adtth=admitted to the hospital, etc. I have thousands of these.
Make up a system of that works for you - and don't be afraid to put a word or phrase in 2 or 3 different ways in your Expander - i.e., give it 3 different names.
I have found that some terms that I can't remember I just type phonetically and left the macro do the spelling for me. This is especially helpful with the syndromes and diseases that are rather rare. I use tooey for Tuohy needle.
Also, use the expander for all your drugs; that way you will never to worry about whether they are generic (not capitalized0 or brand (capitalized). Just type them in lower case and your expander will take of the capitalization.
Terms and drugs that are hyphenated or have capital letters in their names should be in macros as well. Any time you have to reach to use the Shift key, it disrupts your rhythm and costs you money.
Concentrate on one thing at a time and soon you will have a huge macro file to work from. First week, do your drugs, next week, syndromes/disease, etc.
create macros...
i created macros in Word that i used in the beginning to enlarge it to 150 and at the end to reduce it back 100... of course you still have to remember, but with the macros, at least you can use Keystrokes and it becomes part of the routine. hope this helps!
If it is macros that you yourself made, then
I would just straight type instead of using them, if you can retrain yourself.
macros, shorthand, IT
I used macros on TWS, but I thought we were told we couldn't keep using TWS macros on CUE. I was a late convert to SH and I hated it. I didn't even know we could use IT (I don't have any experience with it).
You can't. TWS macros converted to
nm
using your own macros expander file
I am looking for a part-time job and have a huge ShortHand file which I do not want to rebuild. Which companies will allow you to use your own macro expander? Thanks!
Are those macros that YOU make and use? I never heard of it and
nm
Definitely keyboard + expander macros. SM
Mouse absolutely as little as possible. Maximal creation of macros (or more realistically, aiming for) to perform those corrections that come up all the time. BTW, those macros I create on my Expander belong to me. Most MTs so far don't have this skill to offer, making me faster and better than most. That'll change someday, in big part due to posts like this, but until then, or until tech changes make this skill obsolete, it definitely works to my monetary advantage. Try it.
Messing with the margins is cheating. Use macros.
nm
I get paid per gross line. I utilize normals and macros
as much as possible, though I could do more than I do. I also type 100+ wpm. I don' t have demographics to fill in, just patient's name and I type in straight WP5.1, so no cumbersome formats. I download via FTP and I batch my work insteading of having save each individual report. I make 8 cpl per gross line.
OSI and expanders
Can you use Shorthand with the program that they use? Do they have a line count utility with their program? Thanks.
expanders, etc
I am not sure what you mean by an Expander for an FTP program since an FTP program is one that you use to send and receive files, not type in. If you are working in Word, you have AutoCorrect and AutoText. There is also PC ShortHand and As-U-Type. I think both of these have 30-day free trials. There are others, but I am not familiar with them. I did try InstantText once and found it very user-unfriendly. Please E-mail me if you have questions.
Are you able to put your own expanders in?
Then you will know them. A good book to pick up on Amazon is When the Name of the Game is Saving Keystrokes by Diana Rolland. At least, I am that is right. It is a very good book and has amazing hints at making macros.
They are not YOUR expanders!
They are not YOUR expanders. The expansion program belongs to MQ. They are your expansions created in a MQ owned system, proprietary stuff. Start fresh, why don't ya? Bad karma to drag MQ around with you. Also, if you go around asking potential employers if you can copy MQ's expansions, it makes you look bad - willing to steal from your employer, and stealing it is. Also puts tech support at your new company in a bad spot. Some will help you, but most hate it. It is theft. It will be a good refresher for you to remember what the expansions are, and its a snap to set them up in ExText.
Expanders
I am going to be buying one for my home computer and wonder which ones are considered the 'best.'
Expanders
I saw someone just today on ebay selling that program and I put a bid on it, and took the bid down. My husband said that there was a good chance that it wouldn't work on my computer as the gal selling it said she tried it a few hours and decided against it. The price was right - $75.00, but not if I couldn't load it and she couldn't guarantee that I could.
Expanders and IC
How will they know you are using Expanders as long as your work is accurate? As a contractor they cannot tell you not to use expanders. They *CAN* tell you they expect accurate work.
I personally have an issue with a blanket stop screwing up email when not everyone is screwing up.
I've come across MTs in the last couple of weeks answering questions for other MTs with 100% wrong answers!! And the company does still put out mass emails re errors. It's frustrating for those of us who DO do a good job to constantly be berated for the majority (it seems) who are unable to do what's required.
There's an MT who works for the company I work for who plows through reports and gets high line counts and 50% of her reports have to go to QA to be completed first. This ticks me off!
So IC MT- Do you work the way YOU need to do it and be proud that you are able to what so many seem unable to!
Keystroke expanders
Can anyone recommend a keystroke Expander software program? I have heard Instant Text and Shorthand are good.
word expanders
Shorthand is really good. Go to PCshorthand.com
Spheris expanders
I work for Spheris in radiology and I use IT. They sent it to me. Works well. 
I use a lot of expanders AND the best part of the KS
ortho accounts, IMHO, is that I have one doctor that I am responsible for in 24 hours. He is busy and predictable. It is the best way to run an account that I have ever been on, and Cheryl is tops in any book!
Word expanders
Does anyone know if most of the companies will permit you to use your own expander? I have used the same product since around 2000 and love it. I have tried others and just do not like them.
For those in the KNOW: If a company provides software/computer, are most willing to permit use of this type of software in lieu of theirs? I would wish it to be negotiable.
Expanders/Normals sm
As the poster below states, the way this is possible is by working an account that uses many normals and that you can utilize your Expanders with.
Chances are whatever national MTSO you work for will begin to use VR technology sooner rather than later.
After all, if you can use your normals/expanders to make astronomical line counts due to the repetitous nature of the accounts, it will be much easier for those accounts to go to VR.
text expanders
anything you have saved in MS word version 2003 is completely compatible. Instant Text version 3 and 5 are compatible. i believe that smart type version 4 is compatible as well. any version of pc ShortHand also works well.
Especially if you use a lot of expanders and templates.
Then, VR is definitely NOT WORTH YOUR TIME. If you type 5 lines an hour or something, yeah, I could see it working out for you. However, if you are a good MT, not so much.
you type 100 wpm without expanders?
Typos deducted?
For how long?
This I will only believe if I see it with my very own 2 eyes!
does Transolutions allow word expanders and if so,sm..
which one..SmartType?
word expanders. Shorthand.
x
Templates and word expanders
Figure out which abbreviations trigger an easy memory response. For instance, I've seen people put pn for pneumonia, but that just seemed to trip up my brain and so I put pne. Do you have doctors that use the same phrase over and over? For instance, nothing to indicate; that's nti. intrinsically and extrinsically is iae. no acute disease noted is nadn. You get more lines by typing (in the above example) 4 letters and getting paid for 22 (with spaces). I organized my templates by first 4 letters of last name and first 2 letters of first name - i.e., John Brown is browjo. (This habit started when I had a large hospital with 2000 doctors and this was the only way to keep them straight.) Then, if it's an H&P, it's browjohp; or discharge is browjods, etc. Seems complicated and you may find an easier way to catogorize, but once it's set in your brain, huge masses of data can easily be sorted through, accessed, appear on your screen, and half your typing is done for you.
Deventure and word expanders
I was just hired by Deventure and was wondering what, if any, the MTs at Deventure use? I currently don't have one and before I buy one I want to make sure it will work with the platforms at Deventure. Thanks in advance for any replys!
Debi
Expanders and Lotus Notes
Axolotl uses a great Expander called SpeedType. It is a great program. It will hold reports as long as 8 pages. The platform is one of the best I have used. Very little, if any, demographics to input.
We DO get paid for expanders & normals
nm
Does anyone know if you can move DQS expanders into another platform. nm
:
Looking for info on the TRX platform, what expanders I can use, etc. sm
I appreciate anything you can tell me. So much depends on the platform and I am wanting information about the actual working for TRX. Thanks.
My last timed test was 135 wpm, no expanders
I don't think it's that uncommon amongst MTs, actually. Our fingers and brain are on autopilot and know where to go. I've worked with other MTs who have a similar speed.
Spheris radiology word expanders
Does anybody know what word Expanders Spheris uses for Meditech radiology?
Intellectual property... she thought up the expanders
now she gets to take them with her
I agree. It takes a while because you build up your expanders
and get used to the docs, but now that I am there over 5 months I am getting over 200 LPH and by keeping on myself and doing my hours, I am finally able to get the paycheck I expected. I believe the lower line counts was because I was not used to the account, and not used to starting a new job (have been in the same place forever in a past job). I bet a lot of people are just experiencing that now they are used to the work if they started 6 months or so ago. IMHO.
In defense of poster with typos...Sometimes when you use so many expanders(fortunately = fty for me
so I bet she is a high producer 'cause she has awesome expanders... don't typos happen to you on the boards sometimes? Or you hit enter too soon and your post looks like a first-grader typed it out...
Word based expanders work with Merit
Hope that helps
UST used to have software that didn't allow expanders of any kind, inc. AutoCorrect. Ask if you
s
Put the extra work in to studying ESL accents, word expanders, become
more proficient as an MT and you will become more valuable and get better line count. Just IMO.
Keystrokes accounts all count the expanders as characters printed with spaces, not the abbreviation.
I have checked it, but we use Shorthand. What are you using?
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