Amen to that. Love Shorthand because you can do macros, too. nm

• What is the best short-cut program to use to increase you speed? - need for speed
  • Instant Text. Tried several, love IT. - Nyer
  • ShortHand gets my vote. I've been using it for years...sm - THMT
  • FlashType works just the same and is quite a bit cheaper. - see link inside
    • Need specific pros/cons on IT, Flash Type, - Shorthand and Shortcut. Thank you. nm
    • Question about FlashType - Romey
  • I've tried most, and my favorite is Shorthand. nm - Lee
    • Amen to that. Love Shorthand because you can do macros, too. nm - SH2
      • Could you please give more details on what - C-msg
        • You can program keystrokes into your shortforms. sm - MacroMaker
          • it can also perform utilities - one stroke deletes 1 through X words to the left, jump up - a paragraph, jump down a paragraph, jump back 3 wo
            • Thanks! - Hadn't thought of using it for that.

The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu

Terminology is so important here.  A macro is a function usually designed in the word processing program (Word, Word Perfect, etc.) and unless using the old DOS system, is usually used for making shortcuts for commands.  It can be used for documents, but is a little cumbersome to do it.

Expanders are just that.  They convert a series of Keystrokes into whatever has been defined for those keystrokes.  It can be a word, phrase, sentence, even a whole document.  But sometimes it can be a little slow if it is a long entry. 

The easiest and fastest way I have found to insert my "normals" or "canned dictations", even those I made myself in either Word or Word Perfect is to use an import function.  It is much easier to revise the normal, too, and easier to copy.  

In Word, establish the file location where documents will be stored.  I usually set mine to the name of the account I am working on (and change that data in the settings on Word - options/ file locations - when I change accounts.)   I store all my normals, whether created by the hospital or by me, in that file.  (By the way, I use a different shorthand dictionary for each account by using links.)   I give the document a logical name, and then create an import link in Shorthand.

So, my account is Onion Hospital.  My file location is set to C:onion.  My document is a physical by Dr. Celery, which I named as celerypx.    My Shorthand dictionary is onionhosp.

My command to retrieve this is: 

{@KEYDOWN Alt}il{@PAUSE}{@KEYUP Alt}celerypx.doc{@KEY Enter}

When Dr. Celery dictates his hp, I get to the physical and type celerypx and the document is imported instantly.

This is even more helpful with op reports, where you have rather routine dictations for things like cataracts, foot surgeries, etc., and need to change from left or right or bilateral. 

It is easier to copy the "normal" document and create one for each instance - left, right, or bilateral, that it is to pull up another command to search and replace the right, left, or bilateral, and change the verb tenses if it is bilateral. 

So, Dr. Corn does a lot of cataract extractions.  I have

corncatrt.doc

corncatlt.doc

corncatbil.doc (never heard of bilateral cataracts, but just an example).

My command in shorthand reflects each one.

{@KEYDOWN Alt}il{@PAUSE}{@KEYUP Alt}corncatrt.doc{@KEY Enter}

(It is also easier to see if I do have a canned report for a doctor in shorthand this way.  I just pull up shorthand (Ctrl F10) and type corn in the screen.  It will show me all the entries I have for Dr. Corn. 

Thank you for replying to my VR macro question on mtstars.  I was hoping someone like you with knowledge of Instant Text and VR work could help me out.  Could you give me an example of how you would set up a macro to change a period to a comma and uncap the next letter in Instant Text for example?  Do you think using macros and commands like this in Instant Text is more productive than creating them in Word? 

It works with all windows based programs, not just Word or Word Perfect.  XXXXXXX used to have a huge list of entries that you could add to most Expander programs.  With Shorthand, you have your main dictionary that you set up and then a linked dictionary, which is how I set up the entries from the XXXXXXX site.  It is a list of about 100,000 entries, I believe. 

As far as brand name drugs go, ones that I use frequently in the specialties that I type (GI and cardiology), I enter them in my expander already capitalized so that I do not have to hit the shift key when typing.  This may not save a lot of time, but time is money in this business and every little bit helps.  I use my expander program and macros to the fullest extent to save time in typing reports.

If you decided to go this route and you cannot get the list from XXXXXXX any longer, let me know by e-mail....I would be glad to send you the file.

I have used with Word and Word Perfect.  I have used it with Meditech and Cerner.  I have used it with RadNet and StarNavigator for Radiology.  I can use it with my email applications and on the internet if I choose.  If the Expander is open and running, you can use it with any and every window program you use.

I was really simple to learn to use too.  Very user friendly.

;yo = -year-old

;py= -pack-year

etc...

I am not a Medquist Transcriptionist but could you tell me to record a macro and then run the macro that you just made.  I used to work at home and used Instant Text.  I now work for a hospital and can't use that.  They totally rely on Word capabilities.  I do use the Auto Correct but I think if I could use a macro it might be better.  However, it is hard to remember the various macros or abbreviations.  I also have to contend that more than one person is using  my computer.  Linda

At Productivitytalk.com there is a forum for WP for Windows macros.  Hope this helps. 

I need serious help recording macros.  If someone has macros for the following actions, I would greatly appreciate it if you could email them to me as an attachment.  I need one for jumping that uses ?? and ctrl+J to get from ?? to ?? and one that starts automatic numbering in the 1) 2) format flush left.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The template idea is a good one.  If that doesn't work, something like a macro to do your report headings might work.  One company I worked for wanted them to be in bold. It was a hospital account and I was doing consults, so a template wouldn't work as far as stock phrases, etc.  I created macros for all of my headings and had all of my keyboard keys assigned with them.  I had Ctrl M assigned to me IMPRESSION that was in bold and I was in the right spot to start typing the paragraph.  I had all of my keyboard keys assigned to shortcuts that I had created - I overrode all of the standard shortcuts that Windows does.

The other poster is also correct in terms of phrases.  Anything that is more than 3 letters that can be condensed down to 3 letters easily, you need to do.  It does slow you down at first to do all of it, but it'll be worth it.  Even things like "further evaluation" I have that condensed to "fe".   You have to use a system that works for you and your brain.  If I have two words I use the first letter of each word and if that letter combination is taken, then I use the first letter of each word and the succeeding letters from the second word, for instance "renal insufficiency" is "rin" since "ri" was already taken for respiratory insufficiency.

If you can change the position of words in your expander, i.e., change the order that words appear on the screen, that helps.  I use Smartype and there were some words that Smartype didn't think were as important that I use a lot, so I was able to move them up in the "rankings" and have them appear on the screen sooner so I was able to get to them with fewer characters.

Good luck. 

I actually set up macros in Word.  I have HPI for HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS and "hpil" for history of present illness, as sometimes I don't want it all caps.

I set up macros for all my headings, HPI, ROS, PE, etc., and assigned keyboard shortcuts to them.  Ctrl + R was REVIEW OF SYSTEMS, Ctrl + P was PHYSICAL EXAMINATION, Ctrl + C was CURRENT MEDICATIONS, etc.  I had to make a list as I used every single one of my keys for the different headings, but it saved a ton of time in the long run.  You can set the macro up to have it bold and all caps and then either put your two spaces, or return to the next line wherever you need to start your typing. 

I don't have that job any more, so I don't need those headings specifically, but I work on the Bayscribe platform that has some weird formatting things.  To bold something you need <B>, so I set up a macro to do that and to give me the end bold code which is </B>.  Saves me a ton of time so I don't have to look for the < or > keys.

Hope that helps.

When I do clinic notes I need to make a log, so have been copying the heading over to another document.

However, someone told me that in WP8 there is a macro that can do this automatically. If true, is there such a thing in Word?

If anyone keeps a separate log, can you tell me how you do it.

Thank you.

This is not the first time this has happened to me.  However, I always have a hard time getting my pont across when asked.  I once again have a doctor who would like to cut his rate, go to voice recognition, etc.  However, he wants me to give him my macros!   Am I to give him all my macros that I programed so that he can give them to someone else?  I feel that whatever means or vehicle I use to give him the finished transcript is my proprietary information.  I could really use some help in this fight though.  Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated. 

Hey!  Just starting to use macros here and have a few questions.

I have a few docs that say the same thing over and over, so I recorded macros using the following, and please let me know if this is what others do:

Control+D - neatly dressed and groomed

Control+T - thought processes linear

Control+J - judgment was intact

Just to name a few.  I have been adding alt + things for others and so on...

How do you all remember what you recorded for what macro?  Is this just you use it so much you just know?  Also, how are macros helpful when your doc doesn't repeat themselves or says things slightly different each dictation?  PLEASE UNDERSTAND I AM JUST STARTING AND DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM DOING.  So, those of you that would like to write back, "what are you stoopid???", please refrain.

Thank you!!

How many of you use whole report macros for specific dictators, and do you find that it is helpful?

I have tried it and it seems like it can be kind of a wash, because many times I had to delete, change, or move things around.

It seems a lot of experimenting needs to be done for me to figure out what does and doesn't help with my speed.

Any thoughts, experiences appreciated! 

a part that is always, always the same and that will be one macro.  The next sentence might be the same, except for right or left and I'll make that a separate macro. 

I used to do lots of cataract surgeries and 99.9% of the time the only thing that changed was the eye having the surgery and the diopter of the lens so in that case I could do the entire report, one for left, one for right, and then insert a stop for the diopter so I could fill it in.

The doctor's didn't even dictate a complete report so you didn't have to read through the report anyway to make sure they weren't changing something.  They would just dictate right, right, right, xx diopters.  

Can anyone tell me how to monitor whether making a whole report macro is worthwhile?  I have quite a few, but I cannot decide if it is worth it or not.  I end up having to make changes and delete things.  Often seems like kind of a toss up and wonder if anyone has any guidelines for this or has experiemented with any specific result.

Thanks for any help you can give me!