Transcription Musings - 4 - More Ideas for Words

Posted by Sharon Allred ^Ž , Mon, Sep 30, 2002, 19:49:54

TRANSCRIPTION MUSINGS #4
More Ideas for Words
09/30/02

Hello again MT friends focused on increasing productivity. I hope by now you're realizing the benefit of text expansion with IT and seeing an increase in productivity. I don't know of any MT who wants to add keystrokes and take longer to get the job done. I promised to further discuss systematic principles for remembering words used frequently in medical transcription.

A disclaimer is in order before we begin. My approach to building a personal glossary is limited by my own experience. As detailed in an earlier column, I started text expansion with PRD, software which was totally memory driven with no advisory visible and no options for short forms. (One specific short form equals one specific long form).
Because of that experience, I have built my own glossary "from scratch" and rarely glance down at the advisory when transcribing. I also memorize well--a gift that varies from MT to MT. That's the beauty of Instant Text: it works beautifully for the MT, like me, who has built and used a glossary without assistance. Instant Text also works beautifully for the MT who allow the software to do the work and does not need to remember long lists of short forms.
It's like the cook who has cooked his/her entire life on a regular stove with a regular oven without using a microwave. The food is just as good; it's just easier with the microwave but not absolutely necessary in preparing good food. I'm the cook still relying on the old methods I learned when that was the only option available, but it works for me.

In the last column I gave suggestions for "A" words and listed some specific short forms for common "A" words found in medical transcripts.

In this column, I suggest using a systematic pattern to facilitate memory of many words by adding just one letter to an already-established short form to expand to the noun, verb past tense, past participle, plural, adverb, and adjectival forms of the same word. With just the addition of one letter, six more possibilities are added for each word.

For example:

amb ambulate

ambn ambulation

ambd ambulated

ambg ambulating

ambs ambulates

amby ambulatory

ambl ambulational

Note the system for easier memory: The same short form is used for all seven entries, but one additional letter is added to the last six to denote the suffix of the word. An "n" is added for the "ion" suffix, a "d" is added for the "ed" form, "g" is added for the "ing" form, "s" is added for the plural, "y" is added for the adverb, and an "l" for the adjectival form.

This simple method can be used for many, many words in an MT's vocabulary. Other common ones in the "A" file are abdomen (abd) and administer (adm). As above, my short form for adjectival forms ending in "al" is to add an "l" to the main word; thus, "abdl" becomes "abdominal". Of course, not all endings are applicable to all words, so just choose the endings that fit.

Here are some sample words from my glossary that are commonly used and lend themselves well to this system:

cathe catheterize

caut cauterize

circ circulate

coag coagulate

cont continue

dc discharge

dco discontinue

dec decrease

deg degenerate

demo demonstrate

dev develop

dim diminish

dxe diagnose (dx is diagnosis)

est establish

evac evacuate

eval evaluate

ex examine

exa exacerbate

exp expiration

expe experience

inc increase

pal palpate

prog progress

rec receive

reco recommend

resu resuscitate

recu recur

rehy rehydrate

rpx reapproximate

rx prescribe

sug suggest

tol tolerate

tx treat

vib vibrate

vis visualize

vo vomit

xv x-ray

I've been working on updating my personal glossary. When complete, this glossary will be posted on the Textware Solutions website for reference and/or downloading. I have many entries pertaining to local physicians, and these need to be deleted before sharing with others.

In the next column, I will move to two-word long forms with suggestions for a system of adding these. Again, IT will do this for you, but consideration of specific naming conventions will also aid in one's understanding and use of IT. I hope new users are getting excited about the exponential possibilities of saving keystrokes with Instant Text. If you have questions, please feel free to email me or post them on the forum.

Sharon B. Allred, CMT