The only thing I have to differentiate these is "prihx" for prior history and "prehx" for previous history. That's no help at all when it comes to "The patient denies a _______ (insert one) history of, and we only hear these a million times a day! I could double p one of them, I guess. Anyone have another method?

Why not just use that vowel, since it's the first main difference -

eho = previous history of
ehx = previous history
iho = prior history of
ihx = prior history

aeho = a previous history of
aehx = a previous history
aiho = a prior history of
aihx = a prior history

peho = patient denies a previous history of
pehx = patient denies a previous history
piho = patient denies a prior history of
pihx = patient denies aprior history

deho = denies a previous history of
dehx = denies a previous history
diho = denies a prior history of
dihx = denies a prior history

seho = she patient denies a previous history of
sehx = she patient denies a previous history
siho = she patient denies a prior history of
sihx = she patient denies aprior history

heho = he denies a previous history of
hehx = he denies a previous history
hiho = he denies a prior history of
hihx = he denies a prior history

Thanks so much for your reply, Georg! I was looking at this yesterday and thinking my mind probably wouldn't wrap itself around those, but I believe I will try it. All I need is to get used to it. And it really does bother me, not having the whole phrases because of that one thing! It's just plain stupid! Thanks a lot for the help!

I have the same problem, Harrie, and have prvhx for previous history and prrhx for prior history. So for the sentence you gave about I would use:

tpdprrhxo = The patient denies a prior history of
tpdprvhxo = The patient denies a previous history of
pdprrhxo = Patient denies a prior history of
pdprvhxo = Patient denies a previous history of
tpdprrhx = The patient denies a prior history
tpdprvhx = The patient denies a previous history

I know they are long, but they work for my brain and it does save several key strokes. Rapid fire from the brain works better than shorter strokes for me.

Why not drop one of the letters?

prehx=previous history
prhx=prior history [drop the i]
phx=past history

prehxo=previous history of
prhxo=prior history of
phxo=past history of

LOL, decisions, decisions! Thanks, Carolyne and Lazy! I'm going to let everyone know what I choose, when I do!