Open Vista Quick Reference Guide – Tips and Tricks

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Quick Reference Guide OpenVistA

Tips and Short Cuts

PURPOSE:   To provide the Vista end-user a list of tips and short-cuts to assist with the navigation of a roll and scroll environment.
1.         Entering of a Patient’s Name:   When you are prompted with a patient’s name, you enter the following:

-Last name, First Name
-First initial of Last Name, followed by last four numbers of SSN:  example:

SMITH,JOHN 527-03-0000 can be entered S0000

-Patient’s full SSN

Additionally, at any patient name prompted, you can enter a current ward location and the system will return a current listing of all inpatients on that ward.

2.         Use of the ‘@’ Symbol:    The @ symbol (shift 2) is used in two different ways:

-Delete information (NOTE:  The system will NOT allow you to delete required information such as SSN or DOB):   For example if you need to delete a room/bed currently assigned to a patient, you would do the following:

Room/Bed:  D203-A//@  (return)
Are you sure you wish to delete?   YES

-In conjunction with a date/time field:   Several fields within Vista require a time associated with a date, such as admission.   The @ symbol is then used as follows:

Admission Date/Time:   3/20/2004@0810

3.         Use of the ^ Symbol:   This symbol is also referred to as the up-arrow or up-carat (shift 6) and its primary function is to assist the user in returning to their primary menus.  It also allows the user to ‘jump’ directly to a prompt or menu option.   For example:   If a menu option is buried within the user’s menu tree, the user can ‘jump’ directly to their option.   For Example:   If my primary menu is the ADT Super User Main Menu, I can ‘jump’ directly to the Admit a Patient option just by entering a ^ followed by the menu option, i.e. ^Admit a Patient.

4.         Space bar/Return:   The system has been programmed to remember the last option and patient name the user was last working with.   For example:  If you were in the middle of a patient registration and the system timed you out, you can sign back in, hit the space bar and return key as many times as it takes to return you to the option/patient you were currently working with.

5.         Defaulted Answers to Prompts:    Many Vista options contain prompts (questions) that are automatically answered.  A defaulted prompt is followed by two slashes (//)  For example:   When entering a new patient movement, the defaulted answer is NOW//.  The user can either accept the defaulted answer (by hitting ‘enter’) or they can change the defaulted answer.
6.         Replace Functionality:    When editing free-text fields (data elements that are several characters long), the user may see something like this:

Funeral Home Name:   Wilson/Smith/Jones Funeral Home// Replace

The user can edit this type of defaulted answer by either deleting the entry (using @ symbol), or correct only a part of the answer.    In the above example, I want to replace Wilson with the name Jacob.  I would do the following:

Funeral Home Name:   Wilson/Smith/Jones Funeral Home// Replace…Wilson (enter) with Jacob (enter).  You now have changed the prompted to Jacob/Smith/Jones Funeral Home.

7.         Use of the Question Mark:   One of the built in features of VistA is on-line help which is accessed by entering one, two or three question marks (?), then push ‘enter’.   The more question marks, the more on-line help is displayed to the user.
8.          Entering Dates and Times:  When the acceptable answer to a question is a date, use one of the following formats:
Jan 20 1957 or 20 JAN 57 or 1/20/57 or 012957
T (for today), T+1 (for tomorrow), T+2, T+7, etc.
T-1 (for yesterday), T-3W (for 3 weeks ago)
If the year is omitted, the computer uses the CURRENT YEAR.
If only the time is entered, the current date is assumed

9.            Printing of Reports:   You can print a report two different ways:  If you need a hard copy of the report then do the following:

DEVICE:   –> enter the name of the device you wish to print to, i.e. pharmacy, admissions etc.

Do you want your output QUEUED? NO// Y  (YES)

Requested Time To Print: NOW//  (APR 04, 2004@14:10)  –>  You can either print the report ‘NOW’
Or schedule the report to run in the
Future:  t+1@0800

If you want to run the report on your screen, then at the device prompt, do NOT enter a device name, just hit the return key.