Instant Text A few ideas that may help.

Posted by Patty on Sun, 12/10/2000

In Reply to: HELP HELP HELP! posted by Christopher on 12/10/2000

Here is what I did. First, on the startup menu of programs, I dragged the Instant Text choice upwards, until it is exactly lined up horizontally with the word "programs" so that I can find it quickly.

Secondly, I discovered that the key on the keyboard that looks like a window (located between the ALT key and the CTRL key on mine) is a key you can hit to get the startup menu to appear with one less step.

Third, there is a way on the Instant Text to say you don't want screen tips, so that saves a step. I have forgotten how that is done, but is simple. I am sure it is on one of the menu's and/or IT people can help you with that. But I turned that off too.

Fourth, once IT is running, you can hit ALT plus PERIOD key to link onto a document. With my own documents, I happen to name the starting with the date, such as 12-10-00-Christopher-LTR that sort of thing, so to link to that document I would hit ALT and PERIOD, then for that particular document, 1 and ENTER and it would link me up, (since 1 happens to be the first character for: 12-10-00-Christopher-LTR in my case).

After finishing with that document, I will do a CONTROL S to save Christopher's letter, and then either minimize it or close it, but keep IT open at the bottom of my screen.
If I minimized it and I open a second document, then I simply hit the little link icon (near the bottom of the IT screen, near the glossary list) and link to that document instead. If I closed the first document, then I just open the next one and link to that second document, again using that little link icon, but then the first character of the new document and ENTER. Works out the same either way. I only turn IT totally off when I am all done using it for that work time or day.

The other thing I did, only since I know I need such helps, is I went to Kinko's and made myself a photocopy of the page with the Keyboard shortcuts and taped it up on my desk. After a while I didn't need it, but at my age nothing sticks in my brain for long, so I needed it a lot at first for reference.

The glossary is very worthwhile taking the time to set up to your liking. That time will pay itself back to you many times over.

If you do not have a folder right now, with about 600 to 800 kB of previous work with that Doctor or specialty, then start saving one up. Meantime, what works very well for an initial medical and surgical glossary is to take the MedPhrases 5 and MedWords 4 and combine them into what you can re-name your basic glossary. You can then open up that glossary using Wordpad, and eliminate what parts of that newly made glossary you know you will not need ever. In my case, I got rid of the names of surgical instruments, since I am not using those at all. (This way things you don't need are not in the offerings.) That is what I did, for starters. These glossaries are included free with your Instant Text. Also Drugs and Ages glossaries are included, and these are very useful. I would use these 4 for starters. You can link them together using includes.

I think you will find that IT is very useful to you after you invest the initial time to set it up to your specific kind of work.

Good luck!

I have been using IT since April, and have found it very helpful. My typing speed is average, not exceptional, and I knew I could not type any faster, etc., plus had some repetitive stress soreness which IT has helped with as well.

Patty A.