Working with Text Commands
Unless you are using Dragon to write a novel, there is a fair chance you should be taking advantage of Dragon’s simple “text command” capability. What are text commands? In essence, this is a Dragon functionality that allows you to insert phrases, sentences, multi-paragraph text, or images into a document by speaking a brief one-word or several-word phrase preceded and followed by a brief pause. If you do anything repetitive in your use of speech recognition software, this turns out to be a huge efficiency enhancer.
As an example, are there things that you commonly dictate in the course of correspondence, such as your email address, your street address, a digital signature, etc.? If so, any of these can be quickly turned into text commands. Are you an attorney and have blocks of text which are often repeated in documents? Are you a physician that is repeatedly documenting parts of a normal physical exam, procedural consents, or counseling discussions you had with a patient? If so, these are all situations in which the investment of a minute or so in creating a text command will – over time – save you hours.
Here are some examples of text commands which I use regularly as a physician and which contribute greatly to my dictating efficiency:
| I Say | Dragon Inserts |
| My Work Address | Section of Cardiology Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center 1 Medical Center Dr. Lebanon, NH 03756 |
| Consent Cath | The indications, expected benefits and potential risks of heart catheterization were reviewed in detail with the patient. The potential for death, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, hemorrhage, allergic reaction, vascular complications and infection were reviewed in detail. The possibility of stenting and other percutaneous intervention, with associated risk, was reviewed. The possible need for emergent coronary artery bypass surgery was reviewed. After a discussion about the above, and having answered all questions posed, the patient was provided with a consent which was reviewed and signed. |
| Brief Male Exam | On exam he appeared in good health and spirits. Vital signs as documented. Skin warm and dry and without overt rashes. Neck without JVD. Lungs clear. Heart exam notable for regular rhythm, normal sounds and absence of murmurs, rubs or gallops. Abdomen unremarkable and without evidence of organomegally, masses, or abdominal aortic enlargement. Extremities non-edematous. |
| Differential Sinus Tachycardia | The differential diagnosis for sinus tachycardia is fairly extensive and includes fever, volume depletion, hyperthyroidism, anxiety, anemia, pheochromocytoma, sepsis, hypotension and shock, pulmonary embolism, hypoxia, chronic pulmonary disease, heart failure, acute coronary ischemia and infarction, and exposure to stimulants. |
The beauty of creating commands is that they take almost no time to create, are available for you forever thereafter, and can be easily shared with your colleagues or your profile on another computer.
Are these commands hard to make? Not at all. All versions of Dragon except the “Standard” have the ability to build text commands. Creating a new command simply requires opening the new command wizard, giving the command a name, and then adding the text which is to be the content or result of initiating the command. Here are the basic steps:
- Open the MyCommands editor via one of several mechanisms (say “Add new command” or go Tools > Add New Command
- In the text entry box next to “MyCommand Name” enter the text you would like to use in order to initiate the command
- Optionally enter a description for the command
- In the “Content” area either type, paste or use speech to enter the text you want added when the command is initiated. Alternatively you can past an image into the content area (a digital signature or other JPEG image)
- If you want the text within the content area to contain specific formatting (font size, style, etc.) then use the appropriate buttons to accomplish this and DO NOT check the “Plain text” box. If you want the text to assume the font and style characteristics of the document into which it will be inserted, CHECK THE “PLAIN TEXT” box.
- Click Save
Working with commands is simple. Text commands are seamlessly interdigitated with standard dictated text simply pausing your talking slightly before and after stating the command. You will get a feel for the required timing very quickly. If you want to change a command after you’ve saved it, you need to open the “Command Browser” which can be done either by saying “Open Command Browser” or navigating via Tools > Command Browser. Once it’s opened, identify your command and double click on it to open the MyCommands Editor and at that point you can modify any of its characteristics and re-save it. In order to share or memorialize your set of commands you can export them from Dragon, also using the Command Browser.
Although simple text commands are extremely easy to create, if you have the professional, legal or medical versions of Dragon you might also want to play with more advanced command types such as the Macro Recorder, Step-by-Step, and Advanced Scripting commands. For more information on building these types of commands I recommend you refer to Larry Allen’s wonderful book, Scripting for NaturallySpeaking 10 which is available on our site and can also be purchased directly from Larry at www.pcspeak.com . For more training on building commands, I also suggest you purchase one of the training DVDs available on our site and elsewhere.
Truly, use of commands are a huge productivity enhancer and I strongly suggest you get familiar with the technique for creating them.
Jon Wahrenberger
January 7, 2010
Post note: As a practicing physician, my own command set is strongly weighted to medical content. I have long freely shared these commands for users wishing to take advantage of these as a “starter set”. If you are a physician and download these, you might want to look them over and modify them to suit your own practice patterns. You can see my commands for downloading at: http://www.speechrecsolutions.com/commands.htm
