Efficient & Accurate Charting With Text Blaze as a Physician Assistant
Using Text Blaze to save time finding and using medical codes.
Note: This GIF shows how to copy snippets to your dashboard so that you can use them and customize them to fit your needs.
“Text Blaze has reduced my time taking notes by about 50%.”
My name is Eric Kreckman and I am a Physician Assistant at an Urgent and Family Care.
My staff and I have to utilize electronic medical records, which are universally hated because they are time-consuming and difficult to use.
Also, we use thousands upon thousands of medical codes, office codes, diagnosis codes, and x-ray codes that my staff and I have to use daily.
We use Text Blaze to help us quickly create electronic medical records and Data Blaze to store our most used codes so that we can reference them in our snippets.
Super fast setup
“I created 50 useful snippets in just two hours.”
We previously used other text expansion tools, however, once I found, Text Blaze, I knew we couldn’t go back.
One day in particular, I sat down at 11:00 pm and started to write snippets. Two hours later, I had created 50 snippets.
When you have an aspect of work that is repetitive (like the medical codes for me), Text Blaze can help you save time instantly.
Here’s an example of a simple snippet I made for a knee exam:
Knee Exam
{formmenu: name=L/R; Left; default=Right} knee joint contours are normal
{formmenu: name=Muscle Atrophy; default=No; Notable} muscle atrophy evident.
{formmenu: name=Strength; default=Normal; Reduced} strength on extension against resistance.
McMurray test: {formmenu: name=McMurray Test; default=Negative; Positive}.
ROM: {formmenu: name=ROM; default=Normal; Reduced extension; Reduced flexion; Pain in flexion and extension}
Collateral ligament testing: {formmenu: name=Collateral Ligament Testing; default=Valgus and varus negative; Valgus Positive, Varus Negative; Varus Positive, Valgus Positive}
Lever Sign: {formmenu: name=Lever Sign; default=Negative; Positive}
Popliteal space: {formmenu: name=Popliteal space; default=Negative for mass or tenderness; Positive for tenderness; Positive for mass and tenderness}
Patellar grind: {formmenu: name=Patellar grind; default=Negative; Positive}
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Easily access information
“Text Blaze and Data Blaze help me quickly access medical codes to save time and spend more time with patients.”
There are thousands of codes that we have to use for a variety of reasons on a daily basis.
We use Data Blaze to store this information, and then quickly utilize it in our snippets.
Here’s the Data Blaze space we use:
Amazingly user-friendly
“Once you spend some time setting it up, the people that use it don’t really have to know anything.”
The great thing about Text Blaze is that it’s super simple to use. I sat down and created 50 snippets in just two hours.
What’s even cooler is that I shared these snippets with my team and they didn’t have to do anything except dive right in and start using them.
Here’s an example of a snippet I made and shared with my team:
HEENT Exam
Head: {formmenu: default=Normocephalic; default=Atraumatic; Not Examined; Other; multiple=yes; name=Head; cols=30}.{if: contains(head, "Other")}
Other:{formtext: cols=50; name=HeadNote}{else}{endif}
{formtoggle: name=Eyes; default=yes}Eyes: {formmenu: default=EOM intact; anicteric; 1; 2; Other; ; name=Eye1; multiple=yes}. {formmenu: default=No scleral injection; R scleral injection; L scleral injection; B/L scleral injection; No scleral injection; Other; ; name=Eye2; multiple=yes}. {formmenu: R lateral strabismus; R medial strabismus; L lateral strabismus; L medial strabismus; Other; ; default=No strabismus noted; name=Eye3; multiple=yes}.{if: contains(concat(Eye1, Eye2, Eye3),"Other")}
Other:{formtext: cols=45; name=EyeNote}{else}{endif}{endformtoggle}
{formtoggle: name=Ears; default=yes}Ears: {formmenu: R canal\ ; L canal\ ; default=B/L canals\ }{formmenu: default=clear with mild/mod cerumen; erythematous; erythematous and swollen; purulent drainage; foreign body noted; Other; name=Ear1; multiple=yes; cols=30}, {formmenu: R TM\ ; L TM\ ; default=B/L TM\ }{formmenu: default=intact and noninflamed; bright red and bulging\ ; Other; name=Ear2; multiple=yes}.{if: contains(concat(ear1, ear2),"Other")}Other:{formtext: cols=45; name=EarNote}{else}{endif}{endformtoggle}
{formtoggle: name=Nose; default=yes}Nose: Nares {formmenu: default=patent; obstructed with clear drainage; obstructed with purulent drainage; obstructed with blood; Other; name=Nose1; multiple=yes}, {formmenu: R Turbinate; L Turbinate; default=B/L Turbinates} {formmenu: default=WNL; erythematous and swollen; erythematous and swollen with clean mucus; erythematous and swollen with yellow/green mucus; Not visualized; Other; name=Nose2; multiple=yes}
{if: contains(concat(Nose1, Nose2),"Other")}Other:{formtext: cols=50; name=NoseNote}{else}{endif}{endformtoggle}{formtoggle: name=Throat; default=yes}Throat: {formmenu: default=Oral cavity and pharynx normal.\ ; No inflammation, swelling, exudate, or lesions.\ ; Uvula swollen; Other\ ; Lesion noted; Gingival swelling; Pharyngeal cobblestoning; Erythema; Post nasal drainage; ; name=Throat1; cols=50; multiple=yes}{formtoggle: name=; default=yes}Tonsils: {formmenu: Absent; R\ ; L\ ; default=B/L\ ; Other; name=Tonsil1}{if: contains(tonsil1, "Absent")}{else}{formmenu: default=WNL; erythematous; swollen; with white exudate; tonsil stones evident; Other; ; multiple=yes; name=Tonsil2}{endif}{endformtoggle}{if: contains(concat(throat1, tonsil1,tonsil2),"Other")}Other:{formtext: cols=50; name=ThroatNote}{else}{endif}{endformtoggle}
{formtoggle: name=Dentition; default=yes}Dentition: {formmenu: default=Teeth and gingiva in good general condition.; Dentures; Poor dentition; Gingival swelling; Other; ; name=Dentition1; multiple=yes}
{if: contains(dentition1,"Other")}Other:{formtext: cols=45; name=DentitionNote}{else}{endif}{endformtoggle}
{formparagraph: name=HEENT Notes; cols=50; rows=2; default=}
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Robust yet simple
“I’m not a programmer, yet I’ve built out a useful system in only three weeks.”
One of my favorite features that Text Blaze has is its nesting feature using the {import} command. This allows you to use your snippets inside of other ones.
This is especially useful if I want to quickly build out notes on a patient using different snippets.
Here’s an example:
History of Present Illness
{import: .patient} {note}{formmenu: Default; Abdominal; ADHD; Derm; Diabetes; Ear; Eye; Hypertension; Knee; Neck; Oral; URI; UTI; name=HPIcomplaint; multiple=yes}{endnote}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Default")}{import: uHPI}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Abdominal")}{import: AbdominalHPI}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "ADHD")}{import: adhdhpi}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Derm")}{import: DermHPI}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Diabetes")}{import: DMHPI}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Ear")}{import: Earhpi}{else}{endif}
{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Eye")}{import: eyehpi}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Hypertension")}{import: HTNHPI}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Knee")}{import: KneeHPI}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Neck")}{import: NeckHPI}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "Oral")}{import: OHPI}{else}{endif}
{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "URI")}{import: URIHPI}{else}{endif}{if: contains(HPIcomplaint, "UTI")}{import: UTIhpi}{else}{endif}
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