Posted on behalf of Ben Tessier, Technical Support Analyst/Education Specialist
While experienced scripters can navigate an automation tool, they often times are not familiar with MEDITECH or how to invoke action utilizing the keyboard, myself included. Anybody can click a mouse but it takes a savvy user to streamline the experience utilizing the keyboard! Whether it is navigating a screen, keying in some data, or simply hitting an enter key, the keyboard shortcuts below will make your scripts more dependable but also the writing process more efficient. We all get by with a little help from our friends, in my case it was co-workers and investigation.
We’ve consolidated our experience into this blog to assist even the most experienced script writer. We hope you enjoy the information and for more on scripts and script writing, please visit our Client Area.
Note: This is not a full list of MEDITECH keyboard shortcuts rather a consolidated list of commonly used. We find this site helpful: Meditech Keyboard Shortcuts.
*Listed alphabetically
**If CTRL, Shift, or Alt hotkeys don’t work try using the following to accomplish:
For example: desire key stroke is Shift Tab and it isn’t working, try +{TAB}. For more on this topic, please visit this site: Send function keys
- CTRL = ^
- SHIFT = +
- ALT = %
CTRL END then SHIFT – Bring focus to the end & highlight rows of text as you arrow up. Good for deletions. E.g. {CTRL_END_SHIFT} Hotkeys not working E.g. {^_END_+}
DEL – Clear a field
F5 – Keystroke will “refresh” the MEDITECH screen (often will “wake up” the screen read in SST). This can be very helpful while developing scripts in SST. Often times the read is “interrupted” as a user builds & tests a script. SST may not be reading the screen and by throwing an F5 key at the screen, the screen read can be “woken up”.
F6 – Navigate section to section. E.g. focus in “Room” field, hit F6 key and focus moves to Status field (bypassing the Bed field). This is helpful when simply tabbing out of a field auto-fills other fields.
F8 (Client Server only) – Bounce among sections of the outer frame of the window. In the 1st screenshot, notice the Admissions menu item is highlighted.
After hitting F8, the focus is moved to the outside menu on the right hand side. It will land on the top menu item located here (in this case Back).
An additional F8 key stroke will place the focus on the bottom menu (in this case Subdivisions item)
Some screens/objects will have a “hot” key available to invoke the logic. E.g Esc to Cancel or H for History. Any letter underlined is a MEDITECH hotkey.
F10 (Magic only) – Wipe out a line
F11 (Magic) or Esc (Client Server) – Exits user from screen (does NOT file/save your work). Example below shows a Name value of “Home”.
After hitting the Esc key, a confirmation box to leave without saving may be received (see below).
This shortcut key can be very handy when developing a script and you want to ensure the process is working without committing the data.
F12 – Files and saves any data entered into the HCIS screen.
Shift End – Brings user to the end of a field. It will also sometimes highlight a row (say for deletion)
Shift Tab – Navigate to previous field
SHIFT UP or DOWN – In a block text style window, this keyboard shortcut can be used to highlight multiple rows.
Shift + – Open printer list. E.g {Shift_+}
*If Shift hotkey doesn’t work try using {+} + to accomplish
SPACE – check or uncheck a checkbox field
Tab or Enter – Navigate to next Field
X = Closes Magic session
Time/Date shortcut keys
N – Date and or time
T – Today (date only)
T+ # – Current date plus x number of days in future E.g. Date is 2/8/2017. Key in T10. Date set to 2/18/2017
T-# – Current date minus x number of days in the past. E.g. Current date minus x number of days in future E.g. Date is 2/8/2017. Key in T10. Date set to 2/18/2017
