I did receive the Instant Text (text expansion program) that I ordered and am only beginning to use it. I am using it at work and work only two 10-hour days a week.

I thought and played around for a while and have opted to use the "spacebar" rather than the ";" for phrase expansion. (I realize the disadvantages - but am dealing with them quite easily.)

My first and earliest impression is that this is going to be a "great program" for me. After I have used it for a few months, I will bring you up to date.

I use the spacebar, too. Once you get used to using the spacebar, it's so hard to learn something else, although I am sure it could be done. I don't have too many problems with it, though. To accommodate for some of the disadvantages, what I do is say, for instance, I just want to type CHF. Well, if I spacebar, it expands it, so for all of my abbreviations, I put a C after (for me to remember Caps) so if I want CHF, I type CFHC and I get CHF instead of the expansion. I hope I made sense. It is an extra keystroke for an abbreviation but it gets around that the spacebar problem.

Windy

I should clarify that...chfc gives me CHF. I am also not good with typing all caps and this gets me around that as well.

Windy

Windy,

I used to do something similar to what you do until I got this idea. I type chf to get CHF and chff to get congestive heart failure. That way I don't have to hunt for a different key. Seemed so simple when I was told!!

kkb

Sounds good. I just put "c" after all of my capped abbreviations. That's my way of "coding" my own stuff so I know what it means. I put "h" on the end for shortcuts to headings, (i.e. peh for PHYSICAL EXAMINATION, etc.), "bh" for bold heading, etc. Kinda goofy but it works. For other words, I use the last letter to shorten the word i.e. tx-treat, txt-treatment, txd-treated, txg-treating, etc., etc.

It's amazing the different things we all do to get the results we want.

I may be using IT totally incorrectly --- but I'm putting most of my entries in as phrases (not words). I like using the "spacebar" for everything.

An example would be - I type aten (spacebar) for Atenolol -- rather than entering it as a word.

It's working - I'm beginning to fly...

Also - I have noticed that IT uses the first letter of every word in a phrase. Often I use only nouns or nouns and verbs. (I skip the articles, etc.)

Example - The patient tolerated the procedure well. IT would use "tpttpw." I would use "ptp."

Do I make sense?

I guess we each have to do what makes sense and is quickest for us individually. Believe me -- I am still learning.

Fun fun fun!!!!

I use it to accommodate for my "handicap" of stubby fingers, and I especially have "weak" little fingers so making caps is one of those trouble spots for me, and certain words that I consistently either spell wrong or transpose letters, like adn and hte. I have entire report formats in there as well, like Dr. A consult might be abcons, etc. I have op report normals in there and just all kinds of stuff. I really, actually, do not use their glossaries and delete them from my use when I open up IT. Something like tol = the patient tolerated the procedure. I guess I just put them in according to the quirky way my mind processes things Now some things I have more of a phrase instead of words as well, like dwtp = discussed with the patient, etc. I also use it for capping brand names on drugs that I have a hard time remembering whether they are capped or not. I really do not know what in the world I would do without my handy dandy IT! Hey, there is another handy dandy little tool out there too, called the Little Red Notebook at the HPI site. I use it a lot, too. It's a free download. I keep those hard to remember but don't want to look it up again words in it...like guaiac...that one gets me every time. I have a mental block to it. Whatever there is that will make my mind work better and my fingers go faster is a "good thing".



Windy

It sounds like Instant Text is working great! I'm still trying to make my decision. (I may need to get Instant Text - - it sounds like there would be a lot of support).

I got my information on Shorthand with MedBrain. Does anyone out there us that? It is pretty costly for the whole program - 7 programs altogether; or you can just buy parts of it?? The advertisement says Shorthand anticipates what you will type next and starts building its own dictionary from what you normally type?

Also, in the MedBrain for part of the program is daily medical updates that you download each day, that is an extra $49.95 per year. I wonder if that is the same thing you can download from the computer? I've never used this, but I've heard they have an update every day you can download?

I would like to hear from some of you guys that use word expanders and see what is working for you. I've never used one except what is in Word, and of course I love that!!

I'm ready to take the plunge and get one, there's just so much out there, I'm not sure which way to go.

I had a couple of doctors that have asked if I would do their transcription and really need something to speed things up so I'm not working all day and all night long. That would get me back to full-time after having the baby. (The kids feel the stress when Mom gets no sleep).

Have a great day.

MOM3