Smart Type, versus InstanText and ShortHand, etc.

• What percentage productivity gain do you get with InstanText? - samsa
  • Geez this gets me excited! - Tracy
  • Nuthin' but IT for me! - mg
    • ? regarding IT - Jan
      • LOVE IT! - Swiffer
      • Yes, you can set your own markers sm - kelli
        • Thank you! NM - Jan
  • Thanks to all who took the time to respond! - samsa
    • Shortcuts for commands and macros - Marianne Kleen
  • Smart Type, versus InstanText and ShortHand, etc. - Lyndia
    • InstanText question - SmarType user
      • I never used Smart Type but IT is at the bottom sm - kelli
      • Yes, it is similar sm - Lyndia
        • Thank you - SmarType user
  • The statistics do not take into count sm - not accurate
  • Has anyone downloaded FastFox Typing Expander.....sm - lilsoxxer
  • expander? - debbb
  • I just checked my lifetime IT productivity sm - kelli
    • I am back - I just did 70 minutes sm - kelli
    • That doesn't count when you sm - but
      • I know - I just posted above sm - kelli
    • Instant Text - crick

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

It takes up about the bottom third of my screen.  You can change the size, but I have it set to give me about twelve lines because I have a lot of templates that start by the doc's name, so I can have twelve templates that start the same - Smithcons, Smithdch, SmithHandP - and need to be able to scroll and pick the one I want.  It may be that it can be positioned in another place, but this is how I started using it and have never checked for something different. 

It took me a couple of weeks to get real comfortable with watching the bottom of the screen, but once you get doing it, it becomes a rhythm.  I am so used to it that I am forever sending emails to my sister with my unexpanded expansions.  Like another poster said, success relies on "thinking" your Expander and constantly building it in ways that make sense to you.  

I have a massive glossary - 16869 words, 57341 phrases.  Some of it is glossaries that came with it, some of it is glossaries I downloaded (I don't remember where, it was years ago) and some of it is things I have added over the years - including full templates for every doc I can.  Some of it is from compilations - you can take a bunch of reports and have it analyze them for commonly occurring phrases and it then creates contiuations - like if you do "the patient was" then it will suggest "prepped and draped" "discharged to home" "given a prescription for" "alert and oriented" and you just scroll to the right one and plop it in.

I know a lot of it goes unused and some of it is duplicate, but I haven't taken the time to go clean it out.  It is a constantly shifting, evolving process and I think that is what makes it so productive for me.  Granted, I have never used anything else other than Auto Correct, so there may be better out there, but this works great for me.

Are these one and the same or different?  Does Smart-Type work in Dictaphone Extext platform?

Thanks in advance for any help from anyone.

I had my computer crash this week.  I was installing everything over again, but I can't find my Stedman's Smart Type patch and I NEED IT so I can get back to work.  Anybody have it who would be willing to send it to my email?

I would really appreciate it.  Thanks in advance.

Hi all,

I type mostly psych evaluations, but I do type some clinic notes.  I've been using AutoCorrect in Word, and I have been advised to invest in a good Expander to increase productivity.  I can't decide between smart type or instant text?  Which is better and why? 

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. 

immediately following the slash and have it expand.  For example if I needed to transcribe mass/sebaceous cyst, is there a way to use my expanded sebaceous cyst without having to back space after I type the slash mark?  TIA

first letter in the next word is capped.   There is no period so don't know why it caps.  Anyone know how to fix it. I'm new to ShortHand and I really HATE it.   My company offers a short class in it, but they want me to have more experience with it before I take the class. 

I have ShortHand 10.0 through my company.   I'm reading the instruction file on the computer and it makes no sense at all to me and I find reading it on the computer is hard because I can't see the full page.   My company will not allow me to install a printer and I guess I could transfer the file to another computer using my flash drive, but it is 136 pages and I really would rather buy a book if there is such a thing.

I've spent about 2 hours browing Productivity Talk and there wasn't much information that was helpful and no mention of a book. 

Since you have used both Smartype and InstaText, I have a question for you.  Does InstaText come with something similar to the SmarType bar that is directly under where you are typing?  That is one thing that I would miss.  I have tried other Expanders and just can't get the hand of looking at the bottom of my screen.  TIA!

Am thinking of switching.  I currently get 400% productivity with SH8 (it types 3 characters for every 1 I type).  Can anyone out there get similar figures with InstanText? 

I am checking into other options for transcription.  Can anyone tell me how to compare all of these types of lines & also payment per word?  I know companies use different scales, so I wondered how they compare.  I have been paid on a 65 character line with spaces, but I may be making a change in the future - don't want to get burned.

Thank you in advance!

I have always charged or been paid by 65 or 60 character lines or per letter or space typed, but have never been paid or charged per gross line.

What is the advantage of this?  If I were to charge 11 cents per 65-character line including spaces, what does this figure out to for an average line rate and how do you do this calculation? 

I'm wondering if it is financially beneficial for me to bill by gross line or to keep it the way I have it.  I do know some accounts will only pay per 65-character line, as this was the deal my first own account I recently acquired.  They were adamant on a 65-character line, but didn't specify with or without spaces and I personally would never not charge for spaces.

Thanks for explaining this.  I appreciate it and hope everyone has a speedy day.

;yo = -year-old

;py= -pack-year

etc...

and great at what we do that we need a challenge once in a while.  No, switching professions is not the answer if your desire is to stay at home.  I have found that helping each other through these message boards has been quite invigorating, and to know that I am not alone in my endeavors is quite reassuring, I must say! 

Your son sounds like a very smart young man. Not many kids these days truly care about their education. They look at high school as a party/social time, and dont look into the future what so ever, and said thing is a lot of our children are not getting the guidance from home either.

My son loves to learn and loves to be challenged and with him being home schooled we are able to do so.

And one other positive note on home schooling college intrance exams have shown that home schooled kids are just as smart if not smarter than those who go to public or private schools. The one on one they get is a big big factor in that.

Best of Luck!!!!!!!