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Aren't macros copies of what others have said?

Posted By: I'm not sure I understand the question. sm on 2007-03-02
In Reply to: Check out copywriting law on line--sm - nn

Aren't macros carbon copies of what someone else is dictating to you?  You have it in your pc to make you're life easier, but it is not "your words" coming from your mouth.  These words belong to the dictator...  Am I missing something here?  That is why at the end of the report, the dictators initials come first and they are in CAPS, and your initials come second and are in lower case.   




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Names & addies on copies sometimes aren't
s
Instant Text Macros vs Word Macros

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? 


 


 


 


copies of what?? nm
nm
Keep copies
I made copies of all my OPs at first. You will find that even with changing dictators, much of the content is the same.
How much do you charge for copies? sm
One of the doctors I transcribe for wants me to print the notes and the cc's to other docs, but I don't know how much to charge for this.  I have never had a doc ask me to do this before, as my other docs just copy everything themselves.  TIA
Charging for copies.

My charges for copies depend on who it is and how many copies.  I had one guy who wanted to use me and my little inkjet printer as a personal photocopy shop.  I was charging $.10 per copy to cover paper and ink, but he'd want 20 copies of each page I typed.  Finally, I told him to go to Staples to make copies because I wasn't going to do it any more.  I was driving there every few days for more ink and paper anyway, and he was just someone I didn't want to do business with.


I don't charge my other client for carbon copies because he usually only wants one or two copies.  Besides, he pays me really well and I've been typing for him for 8 years.  When he wants full color copies of digital pictures printed out, however, it's at least $1 per page because it chews up the color ink cartridges so much.


HELP! How much to charge for copies? sm

Just got a new account; however, the doctor wanted me to take half a cent off my rate AND not charge him for his templates (even though it's my ink he's using) AND he wants me to do the cc's and envelopes at no extra charge.....I do not want to do this as I really think that's a lot of extra work with no extra pay....could anyone help me with this?  What do yall do? 


How much for evelopes??


How much for copies??  Thanks to everyone who replies!!!  I realy need help on this one as none of my other accounts have asked for a bunch for nothing. 



Suckered in the South


So how much for copies and envelopes? sm
I am about to go crazy trying to figure out how to do his invoice.
ABE books has many copies

www.abebooks.com


Well worth getting.  Also research online for Expanders -- there are lots of lists out there to give you an idea how to make your own. Some are free downloads.  But you do definitely have to have your own system and just use these to give you an idea how to set up one.  No two brains work the same.  I refuse to work without my list!!


I keep copies of all my work even what I - sm
copy and paste into the hospital's software, which does the line counting for me, but in their case it is always slightly more than what I get when I figure it myself, we only get the body of the report, but don't have to enter any patient info (or check it luckily). On my FTP work or direct email accounts I report my line counts on a daily basis, which I do and they take my word on it, and are free to check me as I do not cheat on my counts. I just take the told character count and divide by 65 to get my lines, though I have it set up in Excel so I actually don't have to do the math for every report, that would take way too much time which I don't get paid for. But keep your work and verify. Sounds like you may not be getting paid for spaces, or expanded words (only paid for keystrokes, and also no spaces), sit down, do some math and figure it out, good luck.
And most often headers, footers, & copies are not
s
I get copies of the schedule from the offices. sm
you are an IC, so you can call the shots. You can let them know that if you don't receive the work by a certain time, you will assume there is none, something of that sort. If you need a day off, give them advance notice and don't "ask" them for it, because you are an IC so you set your own schedule per IRS rules. You do not need their permission, per se. Obviously, we accommodate the docs as much as possible to keep the accounts, but only to a certain extent. We shouldn't be on call for them 24/7, either. They wouldn't wait all day for a patient that may or may not show (and sometimes even charge if the patient is a no-show!!) If you wait and wait for work, play their game and put it in writing that you will charge for your time -- and then DO it. A few extra charges on the old invoice will likely bring about a change. ;)

Even with the schedules provided, the docs can and do change them at the last minute, so there's no way you can ever know for sure, but at least you can have SOME idea what's going on if they provide them. The way I see it, if he tells you he will be out, then that's what you go by. Even if the staff can't verify it (strange, since most docs are highly reachable by staff), you've heard it straight from the horse's mouth so if you want to take that opportunity to have a day off, let the staff know you'll be off that day, period.

If the doc changes his mind and comes in that day, well, I'd still take the day off if I made plans. Keep that saying in mind that poor planning on their part does not constitute an emergency on your part. If they don't like it, then maybe they'll make better future efforts to keep you in the loop.


Keep copies of your original report
& if you are being blamed for other's mistakes, get your "ammunition" out & go straight to the owner/manager and ask how this can be corrected and that you will not be taking responsibility for someone else's error.  If your owner/manager is a decent person, he/she will have a resonable doubt from now on when someone like QA complains about "your" work.  Always CYA and don't be afraid to speak up.
I have signed it and sent copies to my congressman and
senators. I also call the White House, my congressman and senator every single week and email them. The one guy who answers the phone at my congressman's office said to me to keep squeaking.

We all need to do the same. Talk to everyone, your MD, you neighbors, your friends, clergy, send emails to the Editor of every news agency you can think of.

Sometimes I feel like I am the only one doing this. I also feel like we have already lost the battle, though.

It makes me sick to think that big business is dictating everything down to our medical care and how that information is handled.
copies of previously transcribed reports
What I always found helped, make copies of reports from the medical record charts.  Make a few copies of each doctor and keep them in your desk that way you can refer back to the report when doing the doctor.  You will get the hang of it.  No hospital wants to go through the money and time hiring someone just to let them go right away.  Usually you get about a three to six month probation period. 
How much do YOU charge for extra copies and envelopes? sm

Need some help here ---- have a very cheap doctor who wants everything for nothing.  Need to know what to charge him for copies and envlopes as he seems to have a lot of those.  THANKS!!


 


Keep copies of your reports and do a line count yourself
Then you will know won't you? Get MPCount (think that's the name)(free), or abacus, or any other number of line counting programs. This website (MTStars) has one you can get for free too. Try it and then you will have your answer.
Do you have Word set to make backup copies (sm)
of the documents? Check the folder your document is in for a backup file. I've also been able to recover using a .tmp file as well. You didn't delete the file so it wouldn't be in the recycle bin. You just didn't save the changes you had made, so hopefully along the way Word saved a version and you may be able to recover something.
Keep copies of all jobs and when you hit the bonus level,
p
Office Max has 25 colored copies free until 6/9. (nm)

:)


I use the paper copies of each of those and get new ones every year. Love
s
You may find that actual copies of the reports are also useful. sm
I did strictly OPs for two years. There were some doctors that I had to check 4 or 5 different reports for every time, just to find the subtle variations he used. I might have 4 copies of appendectomies for him, and need them all to complete a difficult one. Complete copies really are almost necessary, I think.
Document everything! Save copies of your reports
Then, when you get an email contradicting the email that she sent you earlier, you have proof. You can print it, or copy & paste that info. into an email to your supervisor. And hers. Same with the reports. If you're getting incorrect corrections, go back and check your copy of the report. Double check with the company's policies, and with the BOS if necessary. Then, if you're right they they're wrong, you have written proof to back you up when you complain about it to whoever is responsible for that QA person's work.
I tried to download it. It says do not file these copies for some reason. I'm going tomorrow to S
pick up the ONE stinkin' form I need from the federal building. Beats buying 50 at Office Depot!
As can the looking up of addresses, names for the copies, deleting stuff that's not used on the
s
I dunno. I sure do miss my Selectric and those onion-skin copies. nm
nm
Does this seem fair? To charge .16 per line - includes printed reports, copies on disk for one year

and delivery.  I do travel twice a week to this office.  Plus, at times I will fax or email the reports free of charge.  I live in Southern California in an upscale area. 


 


Thanks again!


Macros

 


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


Macros
Can you use macros on your transcription platform?
WP Macros

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


Dr. wants macros?
Tell anyone who wants anything you have worked hard at to enhance your profession as a confidential handler of information that you cannot copy or lend any information from your computer as it violates your high standard of patient or doctor confidentiality. That should shut them up!
What are macros?
What are macros and why are they helpful in transcription?
Use of Macros
I use macros for whole paragraphs (i.e. physical exams that the doctors use all the time). I use auto correct in word to use as my Expander (i.e. bp for blood pressure). I've yet to try the other Expanders such as Shorthand, but maybe someday.
macros
by using auto correct.
RE: Macros
I don't use macros, I just use the Word Correct option, always have. But, now I use pcshorthand and I never have to keep making the shortcuts and stuff over and over again.
macros HELP!!!

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.


macros
Something similar happened to me not too long ago. What I found was that my Normal.dot file was corrupted. If that is the case, you need to rename the file to something that Windows will not recognize, such as *corruptfile* and then reboot your computer. Once it restarts, Windows will automatically rebuild another Normal.dot file that is not corrupt. Of course, you will lose any information you have already stored and you will have to start all over again building your macros. This is what happened to me and I ended up losing five years worth of stored macros. I still have not rebuilt everything that I lost with one corrupt file. Good luck.
Or how about macros

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. 


macros

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.


Help-Building macros!!!
Can anyone tell me where to find a good resource for learning to build macros or Expander abbreviations. 
I set up macros like that in Word
and assigned a shortcut combination to them. Such as Alt+H for history and physicals, etc. I don't know of any other way you could do it.
Macros - MSWord

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.


Doctor wants my macros!!!!!????

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. 


saving macros
You can save onto a disk by going to tools>templates and add-ins - click Add. Browse to find Program files/microsoft office/office 11/macros folder. C Click ok twice then pick tools>macro>macros. Choose support.doc from the bos. In the macros scroll box choose backup click run.
Most used? All 8000 of the macros
I currently have in my system. I could make a few thousand more honestly, but the system I use maxes out at 8000.
Macros also go by name expanders and
xx
Just starting macros...

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!!


WOW thanks. I've always set macros to do that. Duh!

Whole report macros

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! 


I break my macros down. There may be

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.  


Large Macros

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!