Expanders: Shorthand vs. Shortcut....

• Expanders: Shorthand vs. Shortcut.... - MT2

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do you want to create a shortcut on your desktop for ShortHand?  if so, use your start button and find your ShortHand program on "All Programs," then right click the ShortHand program and select "create shortcut." 

or you can find the shorthand.exe using the "my computer" button on your desktop and right click from there and create a shortcut. 

hope this helps!

I've always used Expanders already built in to program, but making a change and need to purchase an Expander (Word-based platform).  So I don't know much.  Please enlighten me.  Which do you prefer?

Thanks, guys :-)

find this especially annoying at the end of the sentence when I have to backspace to put in a period.  Do you just constantly backspace or do you know how to avoid this without typing in that command {@nospace}for each shortcut?  Sure would appreciate any help.  I am so tired of backspacing. 

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. 

Instant text actually comes loaded with dozens of different glossaries stored into a separate glossary folder.  For instance, to name a few:  Medwords.glo, (glo is a filename for glossary), Legal.glo, ER.glo, GenMed.glo, etc.  I could go on.  After I imported my PRD+ expanders, I created a folder for it and just named it (after my first name), Toni.glo.  So when I pull up IT, I just click on my Toni.glo file and go to work.

Ironically, I'm looking into ShortHand because even though IT has SO, SO many different functions...so many that I will never learn in this lifetime, that in itself is the only con...other than the price $189.00 and no trial period is offered!

Personally, the best advice I can give is to visit the productivity board and browse through it.  Don't get me wrong, IT has to be the most advanced expansion program on the market, but again, being so advanced is it's only pitfall.  If you are like me, an IC paid on production, I just don't have the time to sit around and play with it.  I hope I didn't confuse you even more.  Good luck!

;yo = -year-old

;py= -pack-year

etc...

What are "Shortcuts" and "Windows" expanders?  I don't like the Expander I have and I can't use the one I bought about five years ago.

I'm having to switch Expanders too and have used PRD.  While researching it seems that ShortCut is very similar to PRD.   Does anyone know if you can import Expander word list from Dos to Windows?

There is a book Saving Keystrokes that can be purchased on the internet that of great help for some commonly used phrases and words.  I did find this website for downloading shortcuts, but I have not actually gone in and done it so not sure what is there, but probably not much for medical shortcuts  I just typed in autocorrect shortcut in the address box and there are several sites you might check also.

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-1043808.html

You can figure out from each of your doctors what they use a lot and make your own, and put them in autocorrect perhaps under the doctor's ID number and then something you will remember. 

Most of these shortcuts are your personal phrases and what your doctors use on a regular basis, so will have to be done individually and in ways that you remember. 

I am using a trial version of shortcut.  I have added shortcuts to a file, but when I pull them up the first letter is duplicated -- for example.  tpt -- the patient -- comes out tthe patient.  Anyone dealt with this?  I have e-mailed tech support but no response yet.

I am wondering if anyone knows this- there is supposed to be a shortcut key that you can circumvent an Expander with.  Say I want to type the name Lee and lee is my expander for lower extremity edema, is there something I can hit that would keep it from expanding just when I typed the name?  I swear I remember someone telling me this once but now nobody in our entire facility seems to know what that would be.  Thanks!

I need to buy some type of shortcut/word substitution software.  I need to be able to program whole paragraphs into the program and use 2 letters to get it back out.  What is good out there now?  What about cost?  Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

Hi guys ... I'm having a mental block. Years ago, in WP51, I had set up shortcuts for formats, such as "alt L" for a Letter, or "alt C" for consults, etc.  Now I type in MSWord, but I want to set something up for a new doc Im typing for.  What were those shortcut called?  How do I set them up?  They were not macros ... something else, less complicated.  I either used the ALT key or maybe it was the CTRL key - not sure.

Please help; I want to set up some quick hospital formats, one for an H&P, one for an OP, etc.  Thanks again !

JMK

has changed from CTRL+P to Shift-CTRL+F12.  What can I do to get it back?