rbrewington
07-19-2008, 01:33 PM
Sorry for the long post.
OK, all of this is probably simple and I apologize if I haven't found some place that gives all the answers, but I'm simply stumped on some of this stuff.
I am using Microsoft Word 2007 and trying to stick with the new content controls as much as possible (easier to transfer redundant data around the document with xml, ability to have many items to select in drop down/combo boxes, tabbing through a protected document does not work right for me when you work with "Legacy" controls mixed with content controls, and all the computers at work where this will be used have 2007 so I figured I'd try to shift).
I am a psychiatrist and am trying to use Word to generate templates to use for initial evaluations of patients as well as follow up progress notes, telephone contact notes, and letters for patients that I see and trying to make this usable for other doctors that are not as willing to test things out with templates. I do not need/want a full electronic medical record system (our charts are all still kept in paper format and that is fine with me) but I am trying to save myself time and maintain notes in a professional appearing format.
I currently use a fairly simple template with content controls to reproduce redundant data in the footer and in some other places in the document via xml.
Problem 1: No check boxes are available with content controls. I have seen several ways to deal with this (legacy forms, a custom content control template found on the web that will insert them) and right now I am using text content controls with legacy check boxes inserted in them and this seems to work to keep the tabbing order that I need when doing the document. Problem is that any time after a "normal" content control text box when the next item is one of these check boxes, you don't see the box highlight and so it is difficult to tell where you are in the document. Anyway, this is not a huge deal, but I didn't know if anyone had a way to deal with this so I/other users can see where they are in the document instead of just hitting the spacebar to see what gets checked.
Problem 2: To maintain a professional look to my diagnoses I have a table set up with labels on the left (Axis I, Axis II, Axis III, Axis IV, and Axis V for those who know psychiatric diagnoses) and then content controls on the right with combo boxes for diagnoses. Psychiatric patients often have multiple diagnoses in the Axis I area but there is no standard set that are used. I would like to reuse a combo box with the same diagnoses and allow the user to add 1, 2, 3, 4, etc... Axis I diagnoses while maintaining one line or row for each diagnosis with the ability to have a varied number of diagnoses depending on the patient. In other words, I want to choose a diagnosis from a list (either combo box or by accessing an external access database table) and then the ability to add another diagnosis on a new line, and then a third, etc... but when done add no more lines to the table so it looks professional. This would also apply to Axis II from a different combobox list or access table. I'm not sure if this can be done within the document itself or if I need to add a userform with some VB to do it. I think 4-5 diagnoses on each of the Axis I and Axis II lines would be sufficient if that helps at all.
Problem III: As a bonus, the format for an initial visit with a patient is different than the follow-up format but some of the xml fields would remain the same (name, medical record number, date of birth, etc...). Is there any way to make it easy (one click etc...) for users to open the initial document and then apply a new (shorter) template to the document deleting the old stuff but maintaining the common xml fields to make notes after initial intake easier to generate.
Again, I'm sorry if this stuff is more easily answered somewhere else, but I haven't found it so far. I'm more than willing to track down the info behind any of these answers if someone can point me in the correct direction or if you'd be willing to answer directly. I didn't post any code because I really don't have anything even started for the above mentioned problems but I'd be happy to post a sample if someone needs more clarification.
Thanks,
OK, all of this is probably simple and I apologize if I haven't found some place that gives all the answers, but I'm simply stumped on some of this stuff.
I am using Microsoft Word 2007 and trying to stick with the new content controls as much as possible (easier to transfer redundant data around the document with xml, ability to have many items to select in drop down/combo boxes, tabbing through a protected document does not work right for me when you work with "Legacy" controls mixed with content controls, and all the computers at work where this will be used have 2007 so I figured I'd try to shift).
I am a psychiatrist and am trying to use Word to generate templates to use for initial evaluations of patients as well as follow up progress notes, telephone contact notes, and letters for patients that I see and trying to make this usable for other doctors that are not as willing to test things out with templates. I do not need/want a full electronic medical record system (our charts are all still kept in paper format and that is fine with me) but I am trying to save myself time and maintain notes in a professional appearing format.
I currently use a fairly simple template with content controls to reproduce redundant data in the footer and in some other places in the document via xml.
Problem 1: No check boxes are available with content controls. I have seen several ways to deal with this (legacy forms, a custom content control template found on the web that will insert them) and right now I am using text content controls with legacy check boxes inserted in them and this seems to work to keep the tabbing order that I need when doing the document. Problem is that any time after a "normal" content control text box when the next item is one of these check boxes, you don't see the box highlight and so it is difficult to tell where you are in the document. Anyway, this is not a huge deal, but I didn't know if anyone had a way to deal with this so I/other users can see where they are in the document instead of just hitting the spacebar to see what gets checked.
Problem 2: To maintain a professional look to my diagnoses I have a table set up with labels on the left (Axis I, Axis II, Axis III, Axis IV, and Axis V for those who know psychiatric diagnoses) and then content controls on the right with combo boxes for diagnoses. Psychiatric patients often have multiple diagnoses in the Axis I area but there is no standard set that are used. I would like to reuse a combo box with the same diagnoses and allow the user to add 1, 2, 3, 4, etc... Axis I diagnoses while maintaining one line or row for each diagnosis with the ability to have a varied number of diagnoses depending on the patient. In other words, I want to choose a diagnosis from a list (either combo box or by accessing an external access database table) and then the ability to add another diagnosis on a new line, and then a third, etc... but when done add no more lines to the table so it looks professional. This would also apply to Axis II from a different combobox list or access table. I'm not sure if this can be done within the document itself or if I need to add a userform with some VB to do it. I think 4-5 diagnoses on each of the Axis I and Axis II lines would be sufficient if that helps at all.
Problem III: As a bonus, the format for an initial visit with a patient is different than the follow-up format but some of the xml fields would remain the same (name, medical record number, date of birth, etc...). Is there any way to make it easy (one click etc...) for users to open the initial document and then apply a new (shorter) template to the document deleting the old stuff but maintaining the common xml fields to make notes after initial intake easier to generate.
Again, I'm sorry if this stuff is more easily answered somewhere else, but I haven't found it so far. I'm more than willing to track down the info behind any of these answers if someone can point me in the correct direction or if you'd be willing to answer directly. I didn't post any code because I really don't have anything even started for the above mentioned problems but I'd be happy to post a sample if someone needs more clarification.
Thanks,