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for those with high line counts- - sm

Posted: Jan 29, 2015

I pulled up some old posts on here for line count averages, etc. I am seeing the high producers really utilize their word expander programs (work smarter, not harder). Do any of you have any websites that can help with tips for utilizing it? Do any of you use medications in the expander (I do not)?? Tips for using it/remembering what you enter (that's my problem)? Do any of you use it on VR and actually produce more b/c of it? I usually straight type and find on VR I do not really use my expander at all. Looking for some tips and/or websites with tips on how to enter things for more production. Do you all enter stuff for pretty much each doctor (such as their PE/ROS/normals, etc)? How do you remember what you entered? Thanks.

It was mentioned they are working on a tips class in Enrich--sm - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I will say that I still use Shorthand but its impact is less with VR.

Anything you type multiple times is a good candidate for the word expanders. Adding a couple at a time and using them makes it easier to remember. Start with something simple like tp for the patient. You can also expand off that, with tpi for "the patient is," etc. For headers that I would have in all caps, I preface it with an 'h' so SOCIAL HISTORY: history is "hsh." Write them down in the beginning to help you remember. If something needs to be stored as an abbreviation I would store "bp" to where it comes at as BP. Then I would save bp2 or bpx to come out as blood pressure. Just find a system for yourself.

A few others that are helpful--sm - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I also have one for blanks, it keeps me from having to count the underscores as I type. It was really useful on other platforms where the blank needed an audio-marker as well. I would include the command for the audiomarker in the shorthand entry and could keep on moving.

Other command keys are good candidates for shorthand. It was quicker to use a macro to enter a document note on beyond text, or to split documents than it was to try and remember all of the commands. I also have my oow email saved in a command too, it saves me time.

I use quick correct - Just as easy

[ In Reply To ..]
Even though I do mostly VR now, it still helps a lot for me to use quick correct. psh= PAST SURGICAL HISTORY: All capped and colon ready to go. I use a ton of them, pt=patient, h=history, c=chronic, neg=netative, pmh= PAST MEDICAL HISTORY, etc. Even with VR I have to often add the headings, so this really helps a lot.

I put medications in my expander - bn

[ In Reply To ..]
I use Shorthand and have my medications all start with "m" and then the first 3 or 4 letters of the medication. For example, mpen is penicillin.

Here's one I use with - VR -

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If you get a verbatim account that doesn't want things expanded ever, like segs, echo, etc, and VR expands them (for some reason, VR expands a LOT of things even when the dictator does not say it that way). For all these instances, I use the slash (/) in AutoCorrect to shorten them back. I remember it because "slash" equals "shorten" and it kind of makes sense. Here's an example -

VR gives you "echocardiogram" when the dictator says "echo." I put this in AutoC: echocardiogram/ to change to echo. That way, when echocardiogram is in the report and dictator says echo, all I have to do is place a slash at the end of the word to change it to echo. I do this for all of those words that VR for some reason puts the expanded word when dictator just says the short form. Not sure how that happens. You'd think after hundreds of times of myself alone changing it back VR would learn. But it does NOT.

wow good tips-does anyone use... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
ABCZ format for their expander and ever purchase it online? I think john knowll is the guy who made it?? I'm butchering his name sorry. in a rush. im thinking of ordering. The whole list comes to you plus many others. You just add to your expander and done. even comes with all dates in each format. i'm wondering if you can still order it. i'm going to try. thank you for suggestions. I will definitely use those. This abcz thing has a drug list too and is awesome. you all should look it up.

I just ordered and recd ABCZ yesterday - cheap enough

[ In Reply To ..]
because of the cost I felt it helpful so I would not have to create an expander list from scratch... only 2 days in, but believe it to be worthwhile

awesome. thanks. - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
xx

The reason I don't like premade "list" is - that those are hard to remember

[ In Reply To ..]
Much easier if it's a system you come up with yourself. But that's just me.

Is that ABCZ thing based on ABC shorthand? That is what I base my expanders on....an ABC shorthand class I took in high school many moons ago....basically, you just use the letters you hear, leaving out all vowels. And use the letter "j" for all ion sounds, "g" in ing and so forth. I also shorten a lot of words like this (first letter of first syllable and then first 3 of next):
component....cpon
echocardiogram....ecar
and so on.......

The less you have to remember the better. It's best if the short forms make sense in some way....IMO. Good luck!

kind of... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
you use the first 3 letters of the word followed by z. I do not have time to enter all these thousands of entries, especially dates, etc. With it being as cheap as it is I feel its worth the money b/c I have NO time. The drug one seems awesome though b/c you can use that as a reference tool too so you aren't looking on google or anywhere else leaving your document.

I use the basic idea, but have not read the book. - bn

[ In Reply To ..]
I use the first three letters and the last letter of a word for the keyword. For example, cury for currently. I make up my own things too like for two word phrases I use the first two letters of each word, like blcl for blood clot. One hint I found helpful in the beginning was to use the letter "x" to expand acronyms, like for cva, that would be my keyword so when I type it lower case my expander types it in upper case, but if I want the expanded version I type cvax and my expander types cerebrovascular accident.

medications in expander - sufferinginsilence

[ In Reply To ..]
This is exactly how I do my medications also. Helps keep brand names and generics straight.

I also try to put as many phrases as I can in shorthand i.e. "The pt was found to have" is tpwfth or pt was noted to have, tpwnth.

for my op reports for 0.5% Marcaine with epinephrine I have 5mwe. For end stage renal disease on dialysis, I use esrdd or esrdh for hemodialysis.

I add to my expander every day. When you come across things that are said alot, I just use the first couple of letters of each word, i.e. isch for ischemic changes. Keeps me from having to remember a lot of shortcuts.

Expander tips - short message

[ In Reply To ..]
I started with PRD+ way back when. It had a basic starting file but also outlined guidelines for naming your short forms -
keep how you name them consistent. Decide on a few "rules" and it makes it MUCH easier to remember them as you are working.

ex: make 1 for abbrv. and 1 for expanded, and do that for all words, like
chf - CHF
chf2 -congestive heart failure
This way you "know" which is the abbrv. and which is the whole word w/o thinking.

make all medications start with the same letter (they used v) and then the first three letters or four letters (some first three letters are common).
vcou - Coumadin
vmetr - MetroGel
vmetp - metoprolol

One I do now is:
if you are doing multiple doctors, use the doctor initial/s and first letter of words in a phrase or template,
mspe - (Dr.) mark smith physical exam
msros - (Dr.) mark smith review of sys.

I have very few one letter short-forms - too easy to make a mistake with them but they are ones I use all the time:
t - the
r - were
n - and
pt - patient
pa - the patient

try to follow the same pattern consistently for naming.
Good luck!

Keyboard tip - Midnite Rider

[ In Reply To ..]
I use a lot of the same expander tips just mentioned. I would also like to say that the keyboard itself makes a world of difference. I switched to a gaming keyboard called the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard. It is also a mechanical keyboard, which I cannot emphasize enough how WONDERFUL it is! It is great for both straight typing as well as VR. It has 5 extra keys off to the left, which you can program to anything you want. I have made the M3 key which is next to my caps key the caps key, and I made the caps keys the control key, so I do not have to move my fingers off the home row of keys because I also reprogrammed the K with the control key to replace the right arrow key and the J with the control key to replace the left arrow key. I have done a LOT of other things with this keyboard, but that is one of the major changes I have made. I ABSOLUTELY love this keyboard. It has green ghost lighting for all the letters and numbers, which I love. You can turn the lighting off if you want, or as bright or as dim as you desire. The keys never wear out, and believe me I have had my share of keyboards in the past. I swear by the green switches although there are also other colors, but they have different reaction times depending on what you want to accomplish. I feel so strongly about this keyboard that I think it should be labeled as the MT standard keyboard, and yet no one is paying me to say this.

im going to check that out... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
...the keyboard. I notice too with VR the keys you have to keep using through the whole document are in odd places and my hands hurt more with VR then they ever did with straight. The fact you can switch keys like that is awesome. thank you for the recommendation. Definitely going to check it out.

Good idea to share ideas - you can always learn

[ In Reply To ..]
And I have from these ideas! Thanks, my fellow MTs.

There are words that are used constantly by doctors that aren't really medical too, and some are actually quite taxing to type out in full.

In fact, in my expander I have subsequently (sbs), significant (sf), insufficiency (isf) and am really surprised how much these kinds of words are used and how much easier it is to type a sentence when the connection is there between fingers and brain.

Another thing I am still trying to train myself on for that connection is using the Home and End keys, i.e. Home will take you to the beginning of a line and End to the end - I often end up in weird places in the text of a document due to hitting a wrong key or ISR being wonky, and if you have the facility to move around with the keyboard it helps with speed.

Re keyboards, a while back I had bought a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic 4000 (wired) one in the hopes to stave off my recurrent frozen shoulder and OOS (working 60 hours 2 jobs by necessity since pay cuts). Initially, I really did not like it, it slowed me down, but once I got used to it I feel it is so much better. Not that this is such a great thing, but I can type for hours without any feeling of strain now at all.

The down side, of course, is that now when going back to a normal keyboard I find that very hard to type on, and so it's something I actually need to have a spare of (once I can afford one!), since the dreaded spilt liquid or other catastrophe leaves me without my most important tool.

Keyboard tip - Midnite Rider

[ In Reply To ..]
Before I switched to the gaming keyboard, I had actually typed on the Microsoft ergonomics keyboard, and yes it took a little bit of time to learn, and I liked it, and I did have trouble going back to a regular keyboard, but when I switched to my gaming keyboard, I had no problem at all learning it. The keys seem to be a little further apart than most keyboards, but I love the clickety-clack of a mechanical keyboard. Once you get it and download the software, you can click on the icon and you actually have a picture of the keyboard that comes up on your screen, and you can change any key to anything you want. As I said, there are also 5 extra keys to the left of the `, tab, caps, shift, and normal control key. They are called M1, M2, M3, M4, and M5. I use M1 to put in the document marker when I need to put in a blank. I use M2 to take out the document marker if I decide I do not need it after all. I use M3, as I previously said for the caps key. I work on the Fluency platform, and it already automatically capitalizes after a period. I use the M4 key to copy and paste the previous line(s) such as when I need to copy the preoperative diagnosis. I just hit M4, and it copies every single number in the preoperative diagnosis. I left the M5 as another control key. I can also reprogram any of the F keys to anything I want, such as I have made the F3 key to take me straight to Google. I have programmed the 7 on the calculator to simulate scrolling down with the mouse and 8 on the calculator to simulate scrolling up with the mouse. I have programmed the page up and page down to change my speed in a report. If you have a problem with home and end, you could easily make that something else such as M1 and M2 or any of the F keys or make a shortcut with your Shorthand. I have done so many things with this keyboard. It is amazing!!!

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