Master the Expander: The #1 Tool for Transcription!

Name: Master the Expander: The #1 Tool for Transcription!
Rating: 4.7 (202 reviews)

Learn text expander shortcut methods to increase your typing speed and productivity at the keyboard!

Highest Rated

Created byLinda Wagner

Last updated 6/2021

English

What you'll learn

Please Note: The text expander used to demonstrate shortcut methods (Instant Text) is NOT compatible with macOS.
Develop your own easy-to-remember shorthand abbreviations for headings, specialized terminology, medications, and client-specific information.
Enhance entries with comments or flags to prevent critical errors.
Create custom glossaries for specific clients or fields of practice.
Create powerful commands for the editing of voice recognized material.

Course content

23 sections • 130 lectures • 4h 10m total length

Course Introduction3:03
Learn to master the text expander to boost transcription productivity and cut research time. Create custom glossaries for multiple clients and medical specialties, with shortcuts, abbreviations, comments, and flags.
Before We Begin1:21
This video addresses the question as to whether this course will benefit those who use a different expander outside Instant Text Pro 7.
How Does it Work?1:52
Addresses the first question as to what the expander is and the basic principles on how it all works.

Key Components to Success0:51
Key Component #11:06
Boost transcription speed by maximizing keyboard efficiency and using an expander to reduce keystrokes and improve accuracy. Track keystroke savings with a productivity log and grow glossaries.
Key Component #21:48
Key Component #32:57
Master the expander teaches how a disciplined data storage system and text expander templates save keystrokes and speed retrieval of templates and electrophysiology reports.

Download and Installation1:44
Docking and Linking Indicators0:57
Dock the expounder to your word processor and confirm the circle and triangle indicators are green. If orange or red appear, use the control slash shortcuts.
Client Configurator2:29
Phrase and Word Advisories2:09
Capitalization and Spacing Indicators1:26
Master capitalization and spacing indicators to keep automatic formatting active. Toggle spacing with ctrl+0 and capitalization with ctrl+9, and disable auto formatting so instant text handles it.
Help Button0:48
Section 5 Wrap-up0:14
Interface Elements

Options Menu Intro1:07
Marker Selection1:00
Automatic Spacing1:23
Master automatic spacing by setting the number of spaces after a period, then fix two spaces to one using find and replace with ctrl a and ctrl h.
Advisories0:39
Advisory Colors0:39
Special Keys0:55
Configure special keys to prevent keyboard conflicts between instant text and audio controls by enabling shift-control-digit in glossary keys and shift-control-slash in focus keys, with expounder docked.
Productivity Screen0:59
Section 6 Wrap-Up0:29
Options Menu

Glossary Intro1:10
Set up and activate course glossaries, remove unused defaults like address and business, and work with med start as the base glossary alongside drugs for transcription workflows.
Medstart 1012:22
Drugs Glossary3:22
Learn to manage drug glossaries in the expander tool by updating the main and medical folders, adding new entries, and practicing quick searches by first letters.
Adding Glossaries0:52
Reordering Active Glossaries1:31
Reorder active glossaries to optimize your workflow using the up and down arrows after right-clicking the glossary list, arranging top terms and adjusting advisory lines.
Switching Glossaries2:11
Transferring Entries1:50
Taking her for a Spin!0:57
Spin Comparison Key2:02
Learn to use tpc shortcuts and a druggist glossary to rapidly assemble medical phrases, medication names like dexamethasone and benadryl, and dosing instructions for patient care.
Test Runs
Section 7 Wrap-Up1:22
The British Medstart and Drugs glossaries are the complete starter glossaries that can be drag and dropped directly into your glossary folder and then added to your active glossary list on the main screen interface. Thanks go out to Lea Owen-Keenan for her work in creating them and for allowing me to share them with you here.

What's an Include?2:34
Viewing the Includes1:53
Dates Include for Medstart2:09
Numbers Include for Medstart1:19
Learn how to add the numbers glossary to the expander, inspect its contents, and use first-letter plus number shortcuts (l4 l5; grade 4 to 5) to access entries quickly.
Labs Include for Medstart1:56
Medstart and Dates Includes for Drugs1:06
Dosage Includes for Drugs2:29
Too Add or Not to Add2:43
My Includes1:54
Explore how includes form glossaries for surgery editing commands and private accounts. See how highlights indicate active entries; next video covers reordering includes.
Reordering Includes1:12
Deleting Includes1:20
Section 8 Wrap-Up0:36
The dates glossaries can be drag and dropped directly into your glossary folder and then added as includes to you main glossaries. Make note of the shortcuts used to expand them and practice using them throughout your workday.

Deleting Entries1:59
Learn how to delete, edit, and move glossary entries to a surgical glossary to keep your glossary clutter-free and focused on useful phrases.
Editing Entries0:49
The Typo Glossary2:51
Moving Entries0:53
Move It On Up!
Search Function1:53
Treasure Hunt (specific to Instant Text users only.)
Section 9 Wrap-Up0:42
Section 9 wrap-up covers deleting, adding, and moving entries in the Glaus reviewer, and previews the command function and upcoming focus on add glossary entries and formatting.

Requirements

Please Note: The text expander used to demonstrate shortcut methods (Instant Text) is NOT compatible with macOS.
Installation of Instant Text Pro 7 is recommended, but the shortcut methods taught in this course is applicable to all other third-party text expander programs.
As this course will be utilizing Instant Text Pro 7 to learn shortcut methods, instructions on where and how to download the free 30-day trial is included.
Geared toward medical transcriptionists, but this course can also be used as a guide on how to use the text expander for other types of transcription (legal, general).

Description

Disclaimer: Please note that this course uses Instant Text 7 and not IT8 and 9. However, the big focus of this course is in learning shortcut methods, which is universal and transferrable to whatever expander you use.

Welcome to the first course of its kind, specifically designed to teach the transcriptionist how to become super efficient at the keyboard with the use of a text expander!

In brief, the text expander is a typing productivity tool that docks onto the bottom of any word processor, such as MS Word, Google Docs, and editing platforms used by transcription companies. With the expander docked to your editing screen, specialized terminology and commonly used phrases can be typed very quickly using abbreviations or shortcuts that the user assigns to the program. This significantly reduces the number of keystrokes needing to by typed, which in turn increases your speed immensely. The text expander also prevents critical spelling errors and cuts down on the amount of wear and tear on your wrists, joints, and hands.

This course is geared toward the transcriptionist who has peaked in their level of productivity at the keyboard and would like to increase their line rate. This course will also benefit the transcription student who is looking for an in-depth course on the text expander so they are more prepared prior to entering the workforce. With the specialized terminology already provided within the text expander glossaries, students and seasoned transcriptionists alike will feel more equipped and efficient in their work as a transcriptionist.

Stay ahead of the curve and learn how to use the text expander program that all your colleagues are talking about!

Who this course is for:

Seasoned medical transcriptionists who want to increase their speed and efficiency through the use of a text expander.
Transcriptionists of other types (legal, general, etc.) who want to learn how to create shortcuts for commonly dictated words and phrases through the use of a text expander.
Medical transcription students who want to learn how to use the text expander prior to entering the workforce.

Master the Expander: The #1 Tool for Transcription!

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction Part 1 - Welcome and Course Overview3 lectures • 6min

Intro Part 2 - The Three Biggest Myths4 lectures • 13min

Intro Part 3 - The 3 Key Components to Success4 lectures • 7min

Intro Part 4 - What will you learn?2 lectures • 6min

Program Setup and Interface (specific to Instant Text users only)7 lectures • 10min

The Options Menu (specific to Instant Text users only)8 lectures • 7min

Glossaries 101 (specific to Instant Text users only)10 lectures • 18min

Includes (specific to Instant Text users only)12 lectures • 21min

The Glossary Viewer (specific to Instant Text users only)6 lectures • 9min

"Add Glossary Entry" Window (specific to Instant Text users only)3 lectures • 4min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: