Expanders and normals...not mormals
Posted By: MtMommy on 2008-10-19
In Reply to: Production - sw
just felt the need to correct your mistakes since you are picking apart others.
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NO EXPANDERS AND NO NORMALS
You don't believe me? I really don't care...That's my line count.....and I do it without Expanders or normals. I love my job, I'm the best at what I do and I always strive to do better than the day before. Maybe you could do the same if you weren't so negative....
yes of course I use tons of expanders. At the most 25% normals though.
x
My normals sm.
I had a supervisor accuse me of holding hostage MY normals. I reminded her that they were documents I had brought to the job as I had done this doctor at another national previously. Anyway, don't the ding dongs realize they can just d/l a copy of a finished job and, tada!, there is a copy of a doc for that doctor.
What are normals?
I am new to MT and I keep reading "normals" are these macros?
normals
After creating a normal, ctrl-N to save it. Should be able to retrieve it after.
Normals
We use "normals" too but I change them to fit the dictation. I was always told those are mostly for reference to help us get through the dictations. Not every MD dictates the exact same Normal and even when there's Normals for each particular MD, they don't always dictate it exactly the same. The only time I would leave "as is" is, for instance, a radiologist says "Chest x-ray, #36, end" and I would just pull normal #36 and send off. Of course, if the Normal doesn't fit the title(I.e.#36 is a head CT) I would still pull it but mark for the QA/practice manager to see the error.
Oh and keep the standards/normals for themselves
Boss asking for normals
Is anybody working for a company where your boss is asking you to share your NORMALS. Be very careful. My company is asking us to share your normals and come to find out who they want us to share with, overseas. Also asking questions like, who are the best dictators, etc. Also experiencing block of work just disappearing. Several hours just gone. Anybody else.
I'd say "What normals?" (sm)
I had an OM tell me that he was contemplating not paying for macros. I said, "Oh, I don't have to worry. I don't use macros, I use an expander." That was the end of that. I'm sure he had to run back to his office to try to figure out what an Expander is! LOL
Abby Normals.
z
DocQscribe normals
I will be leaving my company at the end of the week without a job to take its place. It's taken me several years to accumulate all my normals, and I hate to think I will have to start over creating them. Does anyone know how to transfer/move all the normals from DocQScribe to Word or to save them on my hard drive. I hate to think I'll have to start over creating all new normals. Thanks for your help.
do you mean making normals
for same docs?
Yes, I mean making normals. nm :)
x
The majority of normals are seen
Normals can also be a repetitive statement that the dictator makes, which you then turn into a normal so you do not have to keep typing the same thing over and over again. Some use shortcut keys or Expander program. I am not an expert on any of these as I do not use them. Some who work in MS Word use autocorrect to expand terms or phrases that are said time and time again by a specific dictator. I use autocorrect in Word and like it. Hope this helps.
Has anyone been able to transfer their normals/standards from
nm
No way, Jose. My normals are MINE. Don't let them do this! nm
x
I never give anyone my normals. I have my own accounts and one
but it was a nice account - a surgery center with 200+ surgeons. I told the surgery center I just couldn't continue doing the account, gave them the names of a couple of other MT companies they might want to contact. They did contact them, elected to go with one of them, and then while I was finishing up with them while they transitioned to the new MT Company, they asked asked me for MY normals to give to the other MT Company. Okay, there were SOME normals that the hospital associated with the surgery center had given me to begin with, but I felt that it was the responsibility of the hospital to give those to the new transcription service, not my responsibility. Besides, I had changed the templates as needed, etc. But most of the normals I had were ones that I spent a couple of years developing. Now I wasn't just going to hand those over to a new MT service to make it easy on them. Those were something I spent a LOT of time on and were, in my opinion, MY property.
Why would you create normals for doctors
 and/or accounts you don't even know? That makes less than no sense. Do you just create your own things that you consider normal? Seriously trying to figure it out - I must be missing something.
Are you still cutting and pasting normals? I can't do
nm
What aggravates me are normals and samples
full of obvious typos and stylistic issues that we MTs get dinged for. In fact, I remember having a normal op at one place that had a made-up instrument name in it. It kept coming up on the spell check. Took me months to finally find the proper name.
I've come to expect sloppy and/or poorly written emails from managers and admin staff otherwise.
Normals in Expansion File
Just be aware that your company may have set a size limit for individual expansions to prevent transcriptionists from making "normals" that are not really normal, that is, not always exactly what the doctor says.
EXText Question About Normals
Hi,
I've had trouble recently being unable to retrieve normals I've made.
When I make a personal normal and then try to access it during the current work session, it does not show up in the list. This is true even after having been logged out of the system entirely, such as overnight and then returning to work the next day.
If I try to re-do/re-create the normal using the same "Properties" info., I get a ping and message stating that that normal already exists. Any info. on this?
Also:
Could there be a limit to how many normals, personal or shared, can be created on one person's list?
Can personal normals be deleted?
I need more help than I've already gotten, so I'm posting here. (My next step is contacting Dictaphone)
Thanks.
Also have errors in normals I am told to use--sm
Does your platform allow you to have Transcriptionist normals? Mine does and i have corrected the normals and saved them in my set of normals. I also complained for over a year and they were not corrected. One of the most notable is an ultrasound abdomen that has the technique for an MRI. The transcriptionist has to remember to make the correction on every report she transcribes.
Try putting in the normals by blocking and control Y....
then name it the name you want and then use control R to retrieve it. Works for me.
Will be variable depending on the normals and shortcuts you have and how
s
Hi, I've gone the personal normals-only rte., still no luck. NM
x
Shutting it on and off doesn't restore normals? Are you
s
normals, templates, shorthand programs, etc
I was reading an earlier post that refers to companies making adjustments in our line counts because we are using these word expanders. I have been wondering about that because even using as many as I possibly can, it seems like it does no good. I do about as many lines as I would normally do just typing the darn things out. How are they making these adjustments, does anybody know and is it legal? Seems we have no standard anymore as to how lines are counted and companies are doing whatever the heck they want to us.
Re your normals: keep a list handy, name them with short names..sm
then use Control R after you have typed the normal name; i.e.: Dr. Joe Blow has a ROS that he uses all the time - name it JBROS or something like that, then in the document type JBROS and use the control R to bring it automatically in.
I would never voluntarily give them "my" normals, my work product. SM
The nerve of these people. 
Maybe if it is gross lines, lots of headers and footers and normals......sm
Other than that, I really can't imagine it.
Expanders
What is S/H? Are we allowed to run these programs with DQS? If so, where do you purchase them? I would be more than happy to spend $120 if I could get my quota.
Thanks for the tips.
Expanders
I have worked in Meditech for about a year and a half and find that Shorthand does work just fine with it.
Expanders
Also, Abbreviate works well.
EXPANDERS
I keep seeing people say get an Expander you will get more lines. I currently just use what is provided on the DQS (the Ctrl+E function). Forgive my ignorance, but is this a separate program that you can use with DQS? If so, tell me what it is and where to get it, PLEASE. I am to the point of throwing my hands up and working at McDonald's. I am so frustrated. I normally typed close to 2,000 lines per shift before DQS, now I am getting no where near that. I have been on this for over a year. 
expanders
if i didn't have instant text, i'd be an unhappy person; i use it for probably 40% of my stuff; i also use autocorrect for words and small phrases.
expanders
The only Expander I have ever used is InstantText. I can add really long entries in there with bold, underline, etc..... you add the entry into InstantText and then there is a "formatting" button that you click on and it will keep the original formatting from when it was copied/cut and pasted from Word or your report. I really like InstantText.
Expanders
Looking to get an Expander and curious which expander most use. TIA
expanders
I was very interested in trying to get Smartype but I think from what I am reading it is not compatible with Word Perfect which is my main account and then I use Microsoft Works Suite. I was wondering if there are any other Expanders out that could particularly be used with Word Perfect. I thought I remembered talk about Fast Type that could be downloaded here from MTStars but I'm not able to locate that and I don't know if it can be used with Word Perfect or not. Any suggestions or help??
Expanders
They should expand the text in whatever font your document is currently using.
Actually, I use auto correct specifically for those instances when the the font, formatting, and size cannot be changed...if that makes any sense.
Expanders. sm
How do you use such abbreviations without going into your autotext you already have running. I.E. I think if I tried to abbreviate Webster's words, It would clash with my medical words I have. Any suggestions appreciated.
expanders
Which is the best Expander program?
ROI of expanders
An Expander pays for itself within weeks as your productivity goes up and you will make more lines per day.
What you need to consider is which expander provides the best productivity features as well as the best comfort level for you.
Looking at expanders and
I have been working as an employee with the EXText system/Wordclient by Dictaphone. I really love the "esp" system that is part of this program as I find it very quick and easy to use.
Years ago I tried IT and didn't really care for it, but I don't know if I didn't become familiar enough with it.
I guess it comes down to an Expander that works with just hitting the spacebar and entering the shortcut I know I am getting with that abbreviation. Really mastering the shortcuts without having a list to choose from.
If anyone out there has any recommendations for a similar expander as the Dictaphone esps, I would love to hear what you have to say.
Thanks.
Expanders
Thank you for your input.
Expanders
Hi Robbie,
I was told that Instant Text V Pro works well with Meditech. I just received the program yesterday and installed it, but haven't had a chance to see how well it works.
Expanders
I keep seeing everyone uses expanders. Those of you that use them are you on set accounts? I can't figure out how I would use them when I do a whole pool of about 20 different doctors. I have some things in my quick correct but I just find it easier to type it then to remember to turn on the correct as you type option and then remember the abbreviations...everyone keeps saying that you are more productive with the use of expanders...I guess my question is how do you incorporate this with different doctors?
expanders
My goodness - EVERY doctor uses the same words i.e.the patient, blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, etc. also "the" that' those" Every op report states the patient tolerated the procedure well, usually, and the patient was extubated. You make up Expanders for common english stuff plus most of the medicine names and dosage times amd acceptable abbreviations like LAD, MI, CAD, CHF, etc. and headings in a physical exam, and body parts/anatomy. Expanders increase your speed greatly plus cuts spell check time also. I currently work an account with 40+ docs on staff and I'm using the same expanders I used for my 200+ account.
expanders
Which system are you on?
Expanders
Believe it or not, I have been transcribing for 20 years, and have never used an Expander such as Instant Text. Is it truly worth investing in. Does it really increase your production more than the expander that is in the Dictaphone program?
Expanders
If I produce approx 200 lines an hour, would it be worth the investment?
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