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1 - Basic SMARText and Plain Text Entry
How do I …
- create documentation that can be read by computers and information systems?
- open or get to the SMARText Items Manager?
- find desired SMARText Items using the SMARText items Manager?
- search to create a list of items in the SMARText Items Manager?
- explain the use of SMARText shortcuts and keywords?
- search for SMARText items in the online library?
- explain the nature of the green, yellow and red triangles in front of SMARText items in lists?
- insert a SMARText item in the SMARText Items Manager into documentation?
- find needed SMARText items during the process of creating documentation?
- what key commands are useful to help find needed SMARText items?
- explain what the items are that show up in the SMARText Quick Access List?
- find only the SMARText items in my local library/database that match a keyword or shortcut?
- find the SMARText items in my local library/database and online that match a keyword or shortcut?
- explain the importance of why selecting a chief complaint is important with SMARText?
- select a chief complaint?
- use shortcuts to enter documentation as I did in version 4?
- add a free text (or typed) comment to a SMARText item?
Most of the information on this page was created in August, 2008. The screen shots are now out of date in that the pick lists are cleaned-up and the pick list dialog has more buttons and options. However, the workflows are the same in later versions of SOAPware. Much of it also applies to v5.1.185 as well.
The fields within SOAPware are not free text fields as one uses in a basic word processor. Even though they are not free text fields, the supported work flows for entering information are very similar to those in word processors. The fields will never be identical to word processors. SOAPware has accomplished a fairly unique and incredibly powerful method of documentation by creating SMARText. This allows for any/all documentation to be either/or free text or structured data. The later is required in modern EMR systems in order to have information that computers and information systems can read and share.
Also see... "What is structured text, discrete data or more granular text?"
In 2008, completely free text documentation is the 5x7 cards of 1984.
Finding SMARText Items via SMARText Items Manager
Press the F10 key to bring up the SMARText Items Manager. Below is a screen shot of the SMARText Item Manager after amo was entered into the search field. Notice there is a check in front of "Include On-line SOAPware Library."
Clicking on the search icon just to the right of the search field causes the list to be created. This dialog is also simply called the ST Manager. SMARText items can have a single shortcut and multiple keywords associated with them. When you search for SMARText (ST) items, it is done via the shortcut and keywords (the entire text of the item is not searched).
At the bottom-left of the ST Manager is an "Include Online Library" check box. When this is checked, your search will find items both local to your computer and items that reside in the SOAPware Online Library. Be warned that some searches can take a little while to complete if there are thousands of matching items. (For example, if you performed a search with ICD, the results would number in the tens of thousands of found items.)
In front of each ST item row in the list there is a triangle that is either pointing up or down and has a color (green, yellow, or red). A triangle pointing down means the item exists in the SOAPware Online Library, and a triangle pointing up means that item is available locally in your database-library. Green triangles are in front of items authored by SOAPware; yellow triangles are in front of items created by users; and red triangles are in front of items that are not accessible.
Selecting an item in the SMARText Manager list and then clicking the Insert button (lower right) will insert the selected (i.e. highlighted) ST item into your documentation at the location of the insertion point (blinking caret, I-bar, etc.). Alternately, double-clicking on an item in the list will also result in its insertion at the location of your insertion point in the documentation.
At the bottom of the SMARText Items Manager is a text entry field having a filter button to the far right. The purpose of this filter is to narrow searches.
Use the Filter to narrow searches for SMARText items.
Note: At this time, only single words can be entered into the Find field for searching. Using only that field, it would not be possible to search for "chest pain." Searches would either be for chest or pain.
The Filter field and button makes it possible to search for "chest pain." Chest is entered into the Find field and pain is entered into the Filter field. Then, Click on the Search button.
Finding Needed SMARText Items While in a Document Creating Documentation
You do not have to open the ST Manager in order to retrieve and use desired ST items. When creating documentation in SOAPware, you have 3 key commands at your disposal to find needed ST items... F11, Shift + F11, and Space bar. Additionally, anytime you click into a field, the SMARText Quick Access List will show you the items you have used in that location in the past.
F11 Pick List
While creating encounter documentation, you can find needed items very quickly and efficiently. To demonstrate, type a word and then press the F11 key. Doing this causes ST items that have keywords matching the word or a group of letters just typed (i.e. what v4 users call codes) to be brought into a "pop-up" list view. In the screen shot below, the user typed amo and then pressed the F11 key. By pressing F11 (or CTRL+>), your local SMARText database-library will be searched for ST items that have keywords that match the word or group of letters just typed. Any found items will be displayed in a pop-up list that presents just below where you are typing. At this point, double-clicking on any item will cause it to be entered at that location in the medical record. Alternatively, in this example, if the 8 key is pressed, a prescription for Amoxicillin Chewables would be entered. So, the list is useful for both keyboarders and point-and-clickers.
Shift +F11 Pick List - Adding the Shift key to F11 tells SOAPware to search both the local library AND the online library.
Advanced comments:
The usage count in these pop-up lists is user-specific and based on some hidden matching rules.
Most apparent is that frequency of use affect the usage count and ranking of items in the list.
If the subjective field contains a ST item of the type Chief Complaint, then this will affect how items are ranked in certain lists.
Items in the local library are at the top (with triangle pointing up) and items in the on-line library are at the bottom (with the triangle pointing down).
The user also has the option of narrowing and expanding the number of items in the pick lists by checking the Show Unused checkbox in the search dialog on the bottom right.
Prior to August, 2008, usage count in the lists was been pretty worthless and inconsistent. Its usefulness is first implemented with SOAPware 2008 and will be progressively increasing over time with future versions. Increasingly, pick lists will almost seem to magically know what items you need. Progressively more "smarts" will be applied to narrow the number of items in the pick lists as well as bring the most relevant items to the top. Also (add link) filtering can be utilized to make the pop-up lists more manageable
SOAPware Quick Access Pick List Types - Overview
When using SOAPware, it may not be apparent (and does not need to be apparent) that there are actually 5 types of pick lists in SOAPware. They have slightly different layouts and behaviors that are not usually noticeable or necessary to notice. It is only for completeness that some of the nuances of the types of pick lists are now presented.
| F11 Pick List | Enter a word (or a few letters) i and press F11 and a list presents below the letters |
| Shift + F11 Pick List | Enter a string of letters and press Shift + F11 and a list presents below the letters |
| QA Pick List | Click in a field and a list presents in the QA section docked on the right side |
| ST Pick List | SMARText Pick List - click on a ST item of list type such as a multi-select list and a list presents in the QA section that is usually docked on the right side of the chart |
| Spacebar Pick List | Enter a string of letters in SW and press spacebar; if more than one ST item has a shortcut matching the group of letters, then a list of those items is presented. If only one ST item matches, it is automatically inserted as did matching shortcuts in version 4 |
Advanced comments:
With F11 and Shift + F11, there will be differences in ST pick list items presented based on different settings to be discussed.
- F11 and uncheck of unused
- F11 and check of unused
- Shift +F11 and uncheck of unused
- Shift + F11 and check of unused
QA Pick List
Clicking within most locations in the chart sections (fields) causes a list of previously used ST items to be presented in the SMARText Quick Access Service (on the right in the image below). In the image, below, the insertion point is in the Medication field, so the SMARText Quick Access Service list items previously used in the Medications field. Notice that that the ST item with Amo as the shortcut is the item that has been used more than any other ST item (in the Medications field) because it is at the top of the list (Usage = 12).
Advanced comments:
In the future, sorting-ranging of the list items will increasingly match information to the "Chief Complaint" so that the items displayed are more relevant based on the type of encounter and is specific for each user. Subsequently, other options are planned for determining the order of ranking. The eventual goal is to have, at any point in the process of creating documentation, the items you are most likely need already available, instantly, in the SMARText Quick Access Dialog. The ranking-ordering in the lists will be based on your unique usage over time and not on some pre-configured assumptions. Thus, starting out, the SMARText Quick Access may not be very useful, but its usefulness continually increases over time and is likely to become the most efficient mechanism possible to create documentation for many types of encounters. You should rarely need to type a code or word to get the needed documentation. You will simply select what you want from the QA list.
As of August, 2008, the default action for the pick list window (i.e. the SMARText Quick Access Dialog) is for it to be docked to the right side of the chart. This prevents it from popping up when double-clicking within SOAPware's various fields.
ST Pick List
In the example below, the user has clicked on CHIEF COMPLAINT(S): in the subjective field to get the pick list to the right in the SMARText Quick Access list.
So, many SMARText items of "list type" (e.g. Multi-select List, Chief Complaint, etc.) will thus display a pick list when clicked on or activated. Their list of items is displayed in the SMARText Quick Access List/Dialog. If the QA list is inadvertently closed, it is accessed via the Menu bar... Tools... SMARText Quick Access. This list-display can also be either free-floating or docked to any of the other 3 edges of the SOAPware window (i.e. It does not have to be docked to the right side).
Spacebar Pick List - Every time you press the space bar, SOAPware checks to see if the last word (or code, or group of letters) you just typed matches any shortcuts (just like in version 4) in any SMARText Items in your local database-library. If an exact match is found between the word you typed with one of the shortcuts in you local library, this group of letters is replaced with the ST item that has a shortcut which is an exact match to the group of letters. If a more than one shortcut matches the group of letters you typed, then a list showing all ST items having matching shortcuts is displayed. Below, if amo is followed by pressing the spacebar, a prescription for Amoxicillin is entered (yours could be different). This occurred because there was a ST item that had amo as the shortcut in the local library. The item with amo as the shortcut in this local library happened to be a completed, fully structured Amoxicillin Prescription as seen below.
If this particular, completed prescription for Amoxicillin is not in your local library (i.e. ready for instant insertion). Simply type amo in the medication field... press Shift + F11... and then download-enter this particular Amoxicillin prescription by double-clicking on it in the pop-up list that is presented. After doing this download-enter action once, simply typing amo + spacebar will immediately enter the prescription in the future (will not have to select it in the pop-up list and download again).
For keyboarders - notice that 3 typed letters and a press of the spacebar resulted in the entry of a completed prescription that is now ready to either be electronically sent to the pharmacy or printed and handed to the patient. It has also resulted in the creation of the documentation. It would be challenging to find a more efficient means to create and document a prescription.
For hunt/pecker pointers - with usage, in most cases, all that will be necessary will be to select needed items in the Quick Access List.
Paper-based system users - there is no means to reach this level of efficiency. If you are choosing to go electronic, we challenge you to find any electronic systems that is more efficient than this.
Adding-Associating a Free Text (or typed) Comment to SMARText Items
All SMARText items can have free text comments attached to them. You can edit/add a comment by either clicking on a ST item to activate it, then enter the text in the Comment entry field displayed on the Quick Access List/Dialog or by simply clicking on an item. Click-typing on a SMARText item displays a small comment editor immediately next to the ST item to which the comment is being added.
In order to demonstrate, below we have clicked on CHIEF COMPLAINT and selected Allergic rhinitis by clicking in its checkbox (see below) in the QA list.
At this point, the pointer is placed over Allergic rhinitis (i.e. in the Subjective field). Simply clicking on "Allergic rhinitis" and starting to type causes a box to be presented into which free text can be entered (as below).
Now, pressing the Enter Key or clicking the save button (above) results in the typed, free text comment to be added to Allergic rhinitis as below.
We are adding Smarts to the pick lists in SOAPware. This greatly improves the ability to have preferred pick list items. A very early and very rough explanation is available for the brave.
More Details:
For keyboarders, here are some useful keyboard commands for SMARText item navigation:
Tab - moves to the next SMARText ItemShift+Tab - moves to the previous SMARText Item.
CTRL+Tab/Shift Tab - will move to the previous and next fields (Subjective, Objective etc.)
Suggested Next - 2 - SMARText Entry-Usage Demo
Path (Beginner) - 2. Preferred Chart Layout and Docked Tabs
