The Toolbar

The toolbar allows you to perform various functions within Meditech. Placing the mouse pointer on a button displays its function.
Alternatively the keyboard function keys can also be utilized.

 

Key Functions

F1: begin block.

F2: end block.

F4: get. You use this key when you want a canned text, which is a uniform text that can be retrieved and entered in the Patient Notes Routine whenever we have similar situations. E.g. if you want the canned text for post op notes, when the cursor is in the patient's notes box, press F4, then lookup, and you get a list of all canned texts.

F5: recall. To recall the last data entered.

F6: previous field. To return to previous field. There is not an equivalent in the GUI/NUI Keys.

F7: begin. In interventions screen this key takes you to the beginning of the page.

F8: end. In the interventions screen this key takes you to the end of the page.

F9: lookup. In some fields there are lists of options to choose from, you do a lookup to get these lists.

F10: delete line.

To join 2 lines, press Shift + F6.

To underline, press Shift + F3 before you start typing.

To change the font color to blue, press Shift +F1 before you start typing.
To change the font color to red, press shift + F2 before you start typing.

To change the font color to pink, press Shift +F1 then Shift + F2 before starting to type.

Shortcuts

To enter a date, type T for today's date, then return, T+1 for tomorrow's date, T+2 for day after tomorrow, and so on. For yesterday's date T-1.

To enter the time, type N for now, return.

To bring back the same patient's name or printer's name, press Space bar + return.

Navigation

Three tools permit a user to navigate through a screen:

1. Highlight bar: The highlighter is a horizontal bar that highlights an entry on the screen. It may be moved up and down the list of entries using the arrow keys. It allows users to specify an entry to view in more detail and on which a verb strip command may be executed.

2. Arrow Keys: The up (?) and down (?) arrow keys move the highlight bar up and down the list of entries. The right arrow (?) key allows users to view the highlighted entry in more detail. The left arrow (?) key allows users to return to the previous screen.

3. Special Function Key: The Special Function key (right Ctrl or ) allows users to select multiple screen entries and execute verb strip commands on all selections.

Selecting and deselecting one item

To select one item on the list, take one of the following actions:
- Using the mouse, click on the item to highlight it, and then click to select it.
- Using the keyboard, press and to move the highlight bar to the desired item. Then, press Right Ctrl to select the highlighted item.
If the item is already selected, this step deselects the item (that is, the checkmark disappears).

Selecting and deselecting all items

To select all items on the list, do one of the following actions:
- Using the mouse, double-click on the check field to the left of any item or click



- Using the keyboard, press Shift + Right Ctrl key.

If any item is already selected, this step deselects all items. To select all items, repeat this step.

Selecting an Item from the Lookup

To select an item from a Lookup, enter its number at the Select prompt then return, or point and click on it.
If there are more items on the Lookup than fit on the current Lookup window, arrows appear above or below the list, indicating that there are more items in this direction. To move up or down through the list, click on the up and down arrows or press Page Up and Page Down.

You can restrict a Lookup by entering a value before pressing F9. For example, if you enter C, then press F9, the Lookup starts with the first entry beginning with the letter C.
You can enter a partial name or mnemonic and press F9 to identify an entry efficiently.

Responding to message boxes

Message boxes are small windows that appear from time to time when you use certain routines. Message boxes have one or more buttons that allow you to decide how to proceed. For example, when you exit from a routine, a message box like the one shown below appears, asking you if you want to exit.


When a message box appears, the default response (if any) appears surrounded by a dotted-line box. In the example above, the Yes button is the default response. To select the default response, press Enter.

Note: Some message boxes do not have default responses.

To select a different response, click on its button or press Tab to move the dotted-line box from the default response to the button you want to select, and then press Enter.

Saving the Screen

To save new information, press F12 or click on when you finish editing the data. The following confirmation window appears.



To file the data and leave the screen, click on Yes or press Enter. You can also type Y. In some cases, the system clears some or all of the data from the screen but does not return to a desktop or a menu. Clearing data from the screen allows you to continue using the screen for additional transactions e.g. Discharge screen.
If you do not want to file the data, click on No or type N. The data you have entered or edited remains on the screen but is not filed. You can continue to enter or edit data and file your changes later, or you can exit from the routine without filing your changes.
To leave a routine without saving the data you just entered, press F11 or click on . The following prompt appears.


To leave the routine without filing the new data, click on Yes or press Enter. You can also enter Y.

Required Fields

Before you can file the data, you must respond to all prompts that have required fields. If you attempt to file a screen without entering the required information, a message appears indicating the number of required fields lacking data. Press Enter and the cursor moves to the first required field without a response.