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is it possible to have macros--that i can make at leisure--and then imbed into my notes--and if yes, is there a limit to the extent of the macro, and the number of macros that I can have/
Can I see my macros in an alphabetical form or at some pouint 'sort" them so that I can see them by either "disease" or by "age' etc, thanks, Pedidoc.

Here is a link to the movie which shows how to use Amazing Charts templates:

http://www.amazingcharts.com/demo/moviedemos/UsingTemplates.htm

How you organize your templates is a matter of taste.

Amazing Charts comes with standard templates which appear in alphabetical order.

However, most users end up customizing the templates to their taste, at some point. This includes the order in which templates occur in their respective lists. Here are some clever organizational schemes which other users have utilized in the past:

Jacques Guillot, MD, organizes his templates categorically. For his Exam templates, he chose 10 broad categories:

• 000 General
• 100 HEENT
• 200 Chest
• 300 Heart
• 400 Abdomen
• 500 Neuro
• 600 MSK
• 700 GU
• 800 Derm
• 900 Psych

He then labeled his templates numerically, such as:

• 410 Soft, NT: "Abdomen is soft and nontender."
• 415 No perit: "No peritnoneal signs."
• 510 WNL: "Neuro exam grossly normal."
• 515 2+ DTRs: "DTRs are 2+ and symmetric."

Dr. Guillot says that when searching the list, this gives a nice, sequential order. He can insert new templates in between, like 412 or 4121 and 4122.
Neil E Goodman MD (supermang) arranges his templates by System, then Disease State: As they will list alphabetically, the most common ones can be named using a "space" or other punctuation at the beginning of the heading which brings them to the top of the list.

• These are titles only, titled by
  System - State
• >EYES - WNL
• EYES - Allergic
• EYES - Blephar
• EYES - Conjunct
• >MOUTH - WNL
• MOUTH - Herpes
• MOUTH - Strep
• etc...

Note that these are titles only. The template would contain the individual doctors stereotypic description of typical findings, such as each of us use every day.

Vinny Meyer, MD has suggested using "a" to "z" for the prefix for systems, starts with the head and then works his way down. Normals are single letter, abnormals are letter and number. For example:

• a = normal
• a1 = allergies
• a2 = sinusitis

Again, these are titles only.

Vinny once said that he was working on an upgrade to Amazing Charts, changing the templates from a flat layout to a "treeview" system with full drag-and-drop, so that templates can be organized in folders. It is hoped that these changes will see the light of day as part of some future release.

I would suggest you look at Short Keys (www.shortkeys.com). I have found it to work great for setting up macros within my templates. Or, it can actually put a whole exam in the field if you want. For example, I have a template called "GENERAL" which basically has the system headings:
GENERAL:
HEENT:
NECK:
CHEST:
HEART:
ABDOMEN:
EXTREMITIES:
ETC.
My simply typing 'abd' after the "ABDOMEN" heading results in the following script: "The abdomen is flat and bowel sounds are normal in all quadrants. There is no tenderness to palpation and no masses or organomegaly were noted."
Typing 'ext' produces: "The extremities are free of deformities. There is good range of motion in all spheres. Peripheral pulses are full and equal. No cyanosis or edema were noted."
Should I need to I can then highlight and delete "the extremities were free of deformities" and instead type 'djdc' and produce "there are degenerative joint disease changes noted." 'Rac' produces "Rheumatoid arthritis changes were evident in the hands"
In summary, short keys lets you template a template.

Leslie

Using dragon, it is fairly staight forward to include macros using speech recognition. The macro statement might be, "Heent normal" and that generates a normal Heent exam to the user's preference.

I have considered using voice recognition but I complete my notes in front of the patient so that by the time I leave the room my note is signed, delivered to the front, orders sent, scripts faxed (or printed) and superbill generated. I can listen and type at the same time without too much apparent distraction to the patient. I would be uncomfortable "dictating" my note in front of the patient and I certainly cannot talk and listen to them at the same time. For me, typing, using templates and short-keys macros is optimal.

Leslie

I do the same thing Leslie does.

I am evidently uncomfortable dictating in front of the patient also. I spent a good bit of time learning Dragon and getting it to "learn" me. It works well at my desk where I was using it for letters and admission H&P's. But when I took it in the room it sort of collapsed. Lots of errors that caused me to begin watching like a hawk. Seems my voice registers a bit of stress in real time, and the software can't figure it out.

Following Leslie's recommendation, I started using Short Keys several months ago. I love it.

There is something about Dragon NaturallySpeaking that tends to make it collapse in front of spectators. I think we dictate louder and more carefully in front of people.

I don't use it in the room. I take notes in the room, then come out of the room and dictate. There is no space in my exam rooms for a computer.

I am toying with the idea of bringing a tablet in with me, but I am not paperless, and I don't know about juggling a tablet and a paper chart.

And, yes, the plan is to phase out the paper chart, but it will mean phasing into a new location as well.

Brian I have an opinion about tablets, (and we all know about opinions) but even so, I have wasted so much money that I must stick my two cents worth in here. We bought some tablets, they seem so cool, like the paper chart in a way, cradle in your arm, write with a pen. Then we spent nearly two thousand dollars on mechanical arms that would allow us to have a 'thin-client' in the room. (because our rooms are also not configured for a PC in the room.) Then we tried some lap tops. Currently I have a Fujitsu "T4220". It is no faster or really any better than some generic $800 Laptops that we use.

My point is this (everyone sighs, "finally"); you are dealing with a computer database and the software that runs it. You cannot input data without a keyboard and a mouse. The tablet is mostly too damn slow. The computer in the room opens your system to access by the patient, (and the patients children!) unless you log out every time you leave the room. That makes the whole process too damn slow. My little Fujitsu is fancy, but I don't use the tablet feature except on rare occasions. (like showing motorcycle pictures to someone!)

The simple laptop is so cheap you can afford one as an experiment and you will probably be able to function with it so well that you will not need more than that basic laptop. When you enjoy the ability to chart a bit while letting the patient talk, and you write scripts and use all the other features of AC you will have made the change. I use a regular Mayo stand (it serves as a heat sink also!) for the laptop and the paper chart.

Martin, our experience with the tablet seems like yours. I agree. Though there may be some out there that can use the tablet function just fine, it seems easier to just use a regular laptop. Especially if you can touch-type. Dr. C ( my sister) worked as a typist in college, back before PCs, so the can type really fast.

do you take the laptop with you from one room to the next (if not, do you leave it in the room and log out?) and when you are in the room with the patient, are you transmitting wirelessly or do you plug in the cable when you enter the room?

Wireless and carry it room to room. I like being able to glance at the in box and when I am finished, if I have time, and the patient needs to tell me about the grandkids, I can open the next chart, review the last note and open the labs before I leave the current room.

Fujitsu lifebook with the screen on full bright (boomer eyes?) (whole boomer body!) and the drive CD drive replaced with a second battery I get about 4-1/2 to 5 hours and it will completely charge in less than 2 hours for the afternoon. (Run over in the morning and run late again in the afternoon and I will carry the charger for the last 3-4 patients. )

We talked about templates at the User's Conference in Branson -- I thought this would be a good one for people to look at to help with organization of templates:

http://amazingcharts.com/ub/ubbthre...6aecad0327fa7f291618b1893e13c79#Post6948

There is also a great post from Leslie above that I wanted to highlight for the folks at the User's Conference in Branson:

http://amazingcharts.com/ub/ubbthre...6aecad0327fa7f291618b1893e13c79#Post6960

The link for ShortKeys: www.shortkeys.com