One of the hardest things I had to do was to change a lot of the shortcuts I had made to adapt to a system that was more uniform. That required not only changing my abbreviations, but required me to "unlearn" what I had already done.

This should be done before you ever settle on what shortcut method you are going to try to use, as these rarely, if ever, change, and are essential if you do acute care accounts.

You need to have a definite method for indicating you want a word or phrase to expand (i.e., CHF or congestive heart failure). You also need to have a method to insert subject headers, i.e., HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS:

There are quite a few methods for indicating an expansion. Some people use a double (or triple) letter of the first letter of the shortcut. I have not tried that, but can see where it would be very effective. I use the letter x at the end of my shortcut, i.e., chfx. Find a method that is easy to remember and easy to typender.

A good system for subject headers can save you a lot of time. I use a v in front of all headers that I want in caps with a colon at the end, and a z in front of headers I want capped and bolded. With that method I can make a very, very short abbreviation that can save a lot of time, such as VLCAP to expand to LUNGS: Clear to auscultation and percussion, or vhrrr HEART: Regular rate and rhythm. I do not have to worry about using the caps lock key, inserting a colon, and all the routine phrasiology can be programmed into a separate shortcut. Of course, VL is simply LUNGS:, and vht is HEART: (I add the extra letter on the h so I can differentiate between head and heart. If you need to have the headers bolded, program the bolding into the headers. Also remember that some accounts may require that subsystems be in small case, but bolded, so make a glossary for those, as well. [BOLD]REVIEW OF SYSTEMS: Pulmonary [unbold], versus [BOLD]REVIEW OF SYSTEMS: PULMONARY: [unbold], versus [BOLD]REVIEW OF SYSTEMS: [unbold] PULMONARY: or [BOLD]REVIEW OF SYSTEMS: [unbold] Pulmonary:

I also put these headers into a separate dictionary or whatever your expansion program uses, so I do not have to make them all over again if I change accounts. I can just import the appropriate one to conform to the specifications of the account I am doing.

Those are great ideas. I am learning as I read these posts and am trying to figure a method out for me in between working. I find there just does not seem to be much time. What is the best system to organize. Do you go into the main glossary?

Thanks
Betty

I am not sure what expander you use, but I use Shorthand. I learned on PRD.

In shorthand, you can have many dictionary files. You can copy a dictionary file to another file, merge the file, or have it run as a linked file. I think IT has its own rules for that, but I cannot comment on that.

PRD was a wonderful program, and you could automatiically add endings to any word you created. It basically used b/c/d/g/j/l/m/s and maybe a few others. It also would allow modification of the spelling to add those endings (you had your choice when adding an s of whether it would be house to houses (s), category to categories (ies), etc.). I think most people used the Gregg method for expansions.

The established systems, such as ABCZ, that are now available were not available at that time, so we all made our own, and modified as we went to make it more usable.

I started with my handy medical abbreviation book, because I already knew what those abbreviations stood for, and added the most frequently used. Those that had multiple meanings, if I needed more than one expansion, I would modify to something I could remember (ashd=arteriosclerotic heart disease or atshd=atherosclerotic heart disease). Muscles, tendons, fascia, and nerves were essential for my work, as were vessels (arteries or veins). I often added the word vein at end for vein, mu for muscle, f for fascia. Most of these have now been shortened to something that is a little easier.

Now I tend toward the two letter of each word for phrases of 2 or 3 words, and then shorten it up as the phrase gets longer or I find there are no conflicts with just using a 2 or 3 letter shortcut. (fene=femoral nerve) (svc=superior vena cava).

I have tried, but never been successful, at making a system that differentiates between hyper and hypo, so I almost always type those out (they are so important that I would hate to make a mistake), with the exception of htn which is standard abbreviation for hypertension.

I use the formal abbreviation for labs, such as na for sodium, k for potassium, etc. Actually this works well for conditions that are related to those, when combined with hypo or hyper, i.e., hyperk= hyperkalemia, hypona=hyponatremia, hyperalb=hyperalbuminemia, etc.

I also have many multiple shortcuts for the same word. I think it just depends on the day and how my brain is working, but at least they are all there (lfso=L5-S1 or l5s1=L5-S1).

For a beginner, I think I would recommend you read up on the various methods and find one that clicks with your way of thinking. If you find abcz or another system is easy to remember, then by all means use the one that is best suited to you.

Another caution: Make sure the shortcut you chose is not a "normal" word, such as 'add' for 'attention deficit disorder'. (I modify that to be addis)

Thanks so much. I use IT.

Betty

Betty,

One of the things I like about Instant Text is that your short form can be a "real" word and not accidentally expand to something else as long as you use a marker key instead of the spacebar.

Take a look at the link below that explains the skip ahead feature where you can use several different combinations of keys to bring up the same word (or phrase) -- no memorizing.
http://www.textware.com/overview/wordabbvpage.htm

There are some great articles by Sharon Allred on the IT forum that help develop a "system" with IT. Also check out other article links at the top of the main forum page.
http://textware.com/board/itmainforum/posts/897.html

Cheryl

I use Shorthand and still have not figured out how to add the endings. I see that if you enter multiple periods it will change the word to -ed and -ing, but how do you do it for -s, plus how do you edit so it makes the correct word, i.e., house plus three periods makes houseing. Otherwise I really like Shorthand.

Allie
Actually you make a separate abbreviation for most of the endings, i.e.
inc=increase
incd=increased
incg=increasing
incgl=increasingly
etc.

PRD would just allow you to go in and select endings and the correct spelling for each ending.

With shorthand, you can make endings (or prefixes) by several methods, with the .. being however you define it.
but you can also make /g, 'g, "g, ,g, .g, \g, to add ing to a word, or any letter you so select. (I use ;k to add ectomy to many words, although I normally have the abbreviation in with the k, such as cholk=cholecystectomy. (My exception to ectomy for K is as a standalone it means potassium, and with hyper or hypo it also means potassium. )

So, if I type colon, I can make that colonectomy by typing colon;k.

Hi, AllieCat! Welcome to Productivity Talk! Great to have you.

Another way you can do it in Shorthand is with a command that would look like this:

{@KEY Left}s

You could define it with just s as the key word, unless you already are using that. Or, give it another shortcut. Of course, you have to fix it to add your "s" before you start another word.

Not a better or worse way at all, just posting because I love programs that allow you to do things in multiple ways! :heartgirl

Anyway, welcome again, and Mary Anne, thanks for the great thread!

Cheryl:

The same "real word" can be used in shorthand with whatever you designate as an expansion key, if you use expansion key, or by adding whatever additional character, (in my case, an x) to the end of the word.

I have never used an actual expansion key that must be used to expand every abbreviation, probably because learning on PRD, you did not have any advisories, so you had to memorize shortcuts, hence the need to develop some type of system. Now my logic, although it may be faulty, is that having to use an actual expansion key for each shortcut adds one more character for each abbreviated word or phrase, and at the end of the day, those do add up. Using shortcuts has become so automatic that many times I do not even realize I am inserting one.

Dang! This brings up some exciting stuff to talk about! I knew you could designate tab, space, and enter, but I didn't realize this until you talked about it, Mary Anne!

If you type a SPACE, ENTER, TAB or a non-alphanumeric character , Shorthand will backspace over the keyword and insert the text associated with the keyword directly into your word processor.

So I mean, I just designated some short forms by using a semicolon at the end of the short form, and then, yes, you have to hit that semicolon to get the expansion! (Although you wouldn't if you use the suggestion window, of course, then you could use the F key so that you don't need to type the entire short form). The difference is, I guess, it's not actually a marker key, but you designate it to act just like one by putting it in your short form.

I know you don't care for that, Mary Anne, and I think many people would prefer to keep using the spacebar and designate real words with an extra letter, but I just feel like this is something that people don't think about that much with ShortHand! I know I didn't when I was using it. It's very interesting!

This is why people should post, see what happens! Of course, I could be the odd man out again, not having really realized this thoroughly and perhaps most people have. Oh, well, ha!

I'm gone again today and I don't like it. Well, the board seems to run almost better while I'm away, though. Keep it up!

Oh, PS: With IT, though, Mary Anne, the marker key doesn't really act like an extra character to hit, because it's the same as hitting the spacebar!

IT's auto spacing and auto capitalization features save you those keystrokes. When you hit your marker key to expand, auto spacing also adds the space you would have gotten if you hit the spacebar. You can also set how many spaces you want after all punctuation to save more keystrokes, i.e. press the period key and you automatically get two spaces after. Word 2000 broke the capitalization of numbered lists and caps after colons. IT overrides that and caps for you -- I no longer need my macro to make sure the first word of every sentence is capped.

I kept a few habits I used in Shorthand -- such as additional letters at the end of my short form to designate all caps or hyphenated phrase vs. non. I use "c" for cap and "h" for hyphen to keep my fingers on the home row. The "x" and "z" are awkward and seem to break my rhythm. Both SH and IT work the same way with the Shift key if you decide to cap with that method. Yes, you get in a zone and don't even realize your fingers automatically know when to hit a marker key and when to hit the spacebar. You can use the spacebar to expand with IT; however, this method turns off other automatic features (such as Continuations).

Cheryl

Interesting! But I have a question. Do you hit the designated expansion key after each entry to get a space rather than ever using the space bar?

You use the marker key to expand abbreviations and automatically get the proper spacing after. You only need the spacebar between manually typed words. Auto spacing works along with expansions and manually typed punctuation. Punctuation marks back up and automatically remove the additional space.

Cheryl

Hello. I have some questions about all of these abbreviations, expanders, dictionaries, etc.

I started using the DocQScribe program about two months ago. I keep reading all of your wonderful ideas about abbreviations and how to form them. I am wondering if the program I use is the same as you are all using or not? I know for sure that I do not have Instant Text. I do not know what any of the others are that you talk about either.

I have copied a lot of the ones I like into a folder to save. I am now wondering how to put them into my expander? Do I have to do each one by hand or can they copy and paste or another way??

Kristina

p.s.

I have one more question. Do you know the address to go where you can work on your expander without receiving dictation?

Kristina

Hi, Kristina! Welcome to Productivity Talk! Thanks for coming.

I've never used DocQScribe so unfortunately, I myself can't answer your questions at all, not knowing how it works. However, I think I have a few members who do, so maybe they can give you some advice. Also, I'm about 100% certain you can find help on this at this forum Also, I can't remember where, but I'm certain I've seen a positive "yes" answer to your last question under PS.

Edit: LOL....Kristina, love your signature! That's great!

Hi Kristina:

Harrie so kindly referred you to my forum for answers to your questions about your transcription platform; I thought I'd reply here so others can see the answer too. I do encourage you to explore my forum when you get the chance. It was initially designed as a place for users of that platform to share ideas. When MQ asked me to remove all references to their name and the name of the platform, I broadened the scope to discuss all things related to increasing one's productivity, such as setting up Windows XP to suit you, effectively using electronic and online resources, and creating a file of normals for various report types. I find when using normals that I can increase my productivity much more than when using text expanders alone. I refer people here to Harrie for the best discussion of text expanders and for the wonderful word and phrase lists.

First off, the built-in expander you're using is called AutoCorrect. Like the entire platform, it is based on a stripped-down version of Word. The whole thing works quite well, in my opinion, as we MTs have all the functions we need to do our work without needing to get involved in the learning curve required to master all of Word's unique features. I find AutoCorrect works very well as a basic expander, and the capacity is limited only by the size of one's hard drive.

Instant Text does work with the platform. As far as I know, it's the only commercial expander that does. That may change in time as I believe we're going to see more companies adopting the platform. It really is versatile and easy to use. Now if we could just get them to do something about the spellchecker . . .

I'm sorry to tell you that I know of no other way to enter your expansions other than to do it a little at a time in between reports. Some people say you check the box at log in that says create jobs without audio [I think that's the exact words; I'll edit this if I'm wrong], but that hasn't worked for me -- no matter how I log in, I get jobs downloaded. That feature is meant to be used when an MT is assigned some unusual work, such as some dictation on tape; to make it work you to have your supervisor set you up in advance.

The address you referred to is for checking your line count when you're not actively working. You'll need your 3-part log-in information to do that.

There is one technique I can suggest to speed things up. Did you know that you can edit the entries in the Replace and With boxes in AutoCorrect? This is very useful because it allows you to enter variations on an expansion without typing in each one separately.

Whenever I enter a phrase which starts with "the patient," "he," or "she," I make a point of at the same time adding the other 2 variations. Otherwise one ends up with a mess of an expander list which has hhh = he has had but lacks shh = she has had, etc.

TECHNIQUE:
I enter tphalho into the Replace box, and the patient has a long history of in the With box, then click Alt-A to enter 1st abbv.

I click to highlight the abbv tphalho in the list. The abbv and expansion fill into the Replace and With boxes.

I edit the Replace box by highlighting tp and typing s. It now reads shalho. I edit the With box by highlighting the patient and typing she. It now reads: she has a long history of. I click Alt-A to enter the 2nd abbv.

I click to highlight the abbv shalho in the list. The Replace and With boxes are again populated.

I edit the Replace box by highlighting s and typing h. It now reads hhalho. I edit the With box by highlighting s and clicking the delete key. The With box now reads he has a long history of. I click Alt-A to enter the 3rd abbv then Alt-C to close AutoCorrect.

I definitely think there needs to be a way for us to work on our expander files without being logged in to transcribe jobs. I've added it to my list of suggested platform enhancements which I will share with the appropriate SpeechMachines representative, when I find out who he or she is.

Thank you. I will try this.