Keyboard and Mouse Use in Vision

This is a lengthy section and you may find it easier to right click and print it out, keeping it by your desk.

Menu Options

• Pressing Alt and the underlined letter, eg Alt - V for View, or Alt - C for Consultation, reaches options from the menu (note the underlined letter is not necessarily the initial letter).

Menu conventions

• Dimmed or greyed out = not available
• A tick to the left of a command means the command is in effect
• Key combination to right of command = shortcut key(s), e.g. F4
• to the right of command = additional menu
• ... to the right of the command = dialog box appears

Screen Options

• Options on a screen can be selected by typing their underlined letter (usually the initial), though note that not all lists or options have underlined letters. For example,from the Select Patient screen, press the <Alt> key then type O for Options, or F for Find.

Function Keys

• You may prefer to use the keyboard instead of the mouse, and in this section are listed some general points about keyboard use in Vision.
• In the Consultation Manager module, special function keys have been allocated for specific functions. These are mentioned within the Consultation Manager on-screen help and User Guide. For example, <F3> displays the Select a Patient screens if you are within Consultation Manager or Registration.
• <F1> function key - Calls up on-screen help anywhere within Windows. This function is universal.

Mouse use

• To select - Single click on the left mouse button.
• To display additional options - Single click on the right mouse button
• To trigger action - Double click on the left mouse
• Dragging and dropping items - Hold down the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the required position and then release the mouse button.

Scroll Bar

Scroll barsindicate further information off the screen

• Vertical or horizontal
• Scroll box indicates the relative position of the currently displayed information in the whole window
• Only displayed when needed
• Moving

Where there is a picklist for selection you see selection arrows :

• Select the up and down arrows to move up and down line by line
• Select the scroll bar above scroll box to move up one page or below scroll box to move down one page
• Drag the scroll box

• To select an option from a list with no underlined letters, use the up/down arrow keys to highlight your choice, then press Return or Enter.

Tool Bar

• A toolbar consists of icons, which often correspond to menu options. Click once on an icon to launch. If it is greyed out, there is a reason why you should not use it at this time and you are unable to click.

Status Bar

The status bar is at the bottom of the screen above the Task Bar:

• explains current open window
• gives additional information / help
• can be switched off by VIEW menu in Vision

Dialog Boxes

Dialog boxes are the boxes that appear where you should enter data, for instance, the History-Add screen. You exit from these either by selecting OK after entering data; or by selecting Cancel to abandon the data entry.

On a dialog box:

Further information needs to be supplied

• Every data entry form in Vision is a dialog box
• Move within a dialog box by using the mouse or TAB key for clockwise, SHIFT + TAB for anti-clockwise movement or use ALT key and underlined letter simultaneously

Other dialog boxes display as warning or information prompts ie close consultation or drug interaction warnings. Some of these prompts have a notes option where you can add free text which displays in this screen for all Vision users. Please be aware that such notes are not attached to any patient record.

Tab Key

• Use the Tab key to move the cursor forward one field at a time.
• Use Shift-Tab to move back a field.

Sometimes, when completing a screen, you don't want to press Enter until you are ready to complete the screen, and using the Tab key is a good way to move around.

Note that in Consultation Manager you can determine other options for keyboard use - see under Defaults, Options, Consultation.

Commands, OK, Cancel

An option with an emboldened border is the selected option or the default. A simple press on the Return or Enter key selects it:

• OK - Pressing Return/Enter accepts the current screen and exits the form.
• Cancel - Select to exit without making changes, you can also press <Esc> to cancel an entry.

Entering Dates

Dates can often be entered using a shortcut abbreviated format:

• Use minus – for previous dates
• Use + for future dates

If you leave the + out, a future date is assumed:

• T - Today's date
• D - Days, for example –1D (yesterday), 5D (five days' hence)
• W - Weeks, for example –6W (six weeks ago), 7W (seven weeks' hence)
• M - Months, for example –9M (nine months ago), 10M (ten months' hence
• Y - Years, for example –3Y (three years ago), 5Y (five years' hence)

Other Text Boxes

List boxes

On a keyboard, use ALT + ¯ simultaneously to open up a picklist, then use ­ ¯ keys to move highlight and press ENTER or type first letter of required option

Check boxes On a keyboard, use SPACEBAR to toggle x on and off.

Other keyboard use

• Use menu bar - ALT key
• Select a menu - ¬ or ® and ENTER when required option is highlighted or type underlined letter
• Move to the next field - TAB key
• Move to the previous field - SHIFT TAB
• Move to a dialogue box item - ALT + underlined letter (simultaneously)
• Move highlight - ­¯ keys
• Choose highlighted option - ENTERkey
• Display the task list - CTRL + ESC (simultaneously)
• Switch between applications - ALT + TAB
• Open control menu (application window) - ALT + SPACEBAR (simultaneously)
• Open a picklist for a dialog box ALT +¯ (simultaneously)
• Toggle a check box on and off - SPACEBAR
• Quit a program - Note that Alt-F4 quits a program.