NOTE: Back up all fields and folders before upgrading to a newer version of Cottage Med, then import your records into the new version (call or write us for instructions if you need).
Please share any changes to layouts and scripts with the programming team so we may include them in future versions for everyone to share.
Open Source software succeeds when we put our fellow woman and man first. We need folks to continue sharing their personal improvements with our team to move Cottage Med to the next level of EHR capabilities.
How do I start?
How do I dictate?
How do I dictate notes (the long version)?
Why can't it find files
when it runs?
Why does it print off the page?
Why do I get an error when clicking
on the calendar (or other buttons) on the layout?
Why doesn't the "synch"
button work?
How do I back up records?
How do I upgrade to a newer
version of Cottage Med?
How do I change to my
address book program?
How do I change to my preferred browser?
How do I change the scheduling program?
How do I store and view photographs?
Cottage Med won't open - what user name should I use?
Is Cottage Med compatible with FileMaker 7?
How do I start?
Open Cottage_Med, wait for it to open, then click the BIG red button to go to the first screen. This is the demographics page. Click in any field to enter information. There is a menu bar at the top of the screen and 8 colored tabs below that. Click these labelled tabs to go to different parts of your patient's chart. You can cut, copy, and paste in any field until a note or field is signed or locked by the system for HIPAA security.
To start a progress note click on the colored tab for "Notes" or "SuperNotes." Click the green button for the type of note you are writing, then start typing in the new window you see. You may insert boilerplate text by placing the cursor where you need and then click one of the green physical exam buttons in the upper right part of the screen.
To write a prescription, please go to the bottom of the screen in the red prescription area and type what you want, hit the tab key for each field (dates are entered by the system automatically), click the first checkbox to flag your rx, then click the orange "Log" key above the rx window to log a phoned prescription or the orange "Print" key to print and log the rx.
How do I dictate?
Double click in the square under the word "Dictate:" at the top of the progress note windows. Record, pause, save as you wish. Ctrl-clicking the same square can erase the dictation.
How do I dictate notes (the long version)?
What's funny is this takes 2 seconds to show users in person, but it sounds
like a chore in writing - once you try it you'll see what I mean and love
it! You can dictate any note by starting in the "Notes" screen, click a
green encounter button, then jump out of the new blank note by clicking
on the yellow background of the Cottage Med screen. Now the dictation field
is the bigger little box in your blank note under the word "Dictate". Double
click this box, click the red record button to start and the stop button
to stop. You can hear the note at any time after by double clicking the
Dictation box in your note. You can erase dictation from the menu bar or
with a Ctrl- mouse click.
Why can't it find
files when it runs?
CottageMed learns as you use it. If it can’t find a file, please
follow the onscreen instructions to show it where the file sits on your
own computer. This ‘error’ message will go away as you
use the program and teach it where your files are stored. All the
files are there in the download.
Why does it print off the
page?
All printed forms are formatted to print at 84% of full screen size.
On macintosh computers we have already set this preference for you.
We have not yet found where this print parameter is stored on the many different
PC computers. This is why some printouts are larger than one page
until you set the print scale to 84% or less (if your computer has larger
fonts).
Why do I get an error when clicking on the calendar (or other buttons) on the layout?
There are a few file links which have to be tailored to your particular computer environment (usually PC) and application preferences (we wisely do not use Microsoft products, but other users certainly can). Please write us if you have any trouble fixing shortcuts or program links and aliases. There are a couple tiny known issues that crept into the v.1.9 release (c. 2005) after being fixed in testing, but none of them cause any error messages.
- An error message means something needs to be tailored to your individual environment to work for you.
- No error message threatens your data. Only improper & unprofessional backup or upgrade policies can do that.
Why doesn't the "synch" button work?
It does. The "Synch" button opens all databases relevant to a Palm Pilot or other PDA, runs their startup routines, and selects only active patients and all their chart contents less than 1 year old in preparation for synchronizing with your Palm Pilot. The actual "synch" operation is triggered on the Palm Pilot or Pocket PC with its "hotsync" button after Cottage Med's Synch button is pressed and subroutines completed.
How do I back up records?
Copy all of the files (not folders) from your CottageMed folder to another hard drive, computer, or CD. Most of these files begin with "CTG_". We recommend hourly or daily backups to a separate hard drive volume, and weekly to monthly archival storage on a CD-R or DVD disk. You do not need FileMaker Server to make on-the-fly backups while Cottage Med runs. Many backup and sync programs are available from third-party vendors, and other backup storage drives, tapes or cartridges are possible.
How do I upgrade to a newer version of Cottage Med?
Please back up all records first. The upgrade process has been partly automated and is fairly painless. Press the "Import Prior Records" button in the opening screen. Follow the instructions until you've opened Cottage Med and the routine finishes. Then open every other database in the download and choose "File" from the menu bar, then choose "Import" and then "File" for each one of your prior databases with the same names. All new data field names match the old ones. New fields added will have no old fields matched to them and will often be blank when first used. After importing for each of the 22-odd databases, your upgrade is done.
How do I change to my address book program?
Go to Scripts menu and open Scriptmaker, choose "Open Rolodex" script and edit it to point to your own address book with AppleScript or some Microsoft tool.
How do I change to my preferred browser?
Go to Scripts menu and open Scriptmaker, choose "Open Browser" script and edit it to point to your preferred browser with AppleScript or some Microsoft tool.
How do I change the scheduling program?
Go to Scripts menu and open Scriptmaker, choose the "Go To Scheduler" script, and edit it to point to your scheduler with AppleScript or some Microsoft tool.
How do I store and view photographs?
Click on the little squares to the left of the dictation square for the visit you're documenting. You can then cut and paste photos into the three windows you see for storing and viewing.
Cottage Med won't open - what username should I use?
'Hello' and 'Hello' for username and password. The username is identical to your password (please see the passwords section in the help file table of contents). We recommend changing your username and password for yourself and your office after downloading Cottage Med. Please see your FileMaker manual for more information, since most offices and programmers (including ours) still use FM 5/6 and are not as familiar with FM7 yet.
Is Cottage Med compatible with FileMaker 7?
Yes. Cottage Med is fully tested on FileMaker versions 5&6. These templates are now available for FileMaker 7. We need more volunteers to test the FM 7 version because most of our users and developers use FM 5/6, which is faster and more backwards compatible. Our FM 7 version is now available as scheduled by January 1, 2005.
For future reference, this is our policy on the wisdom of upgrades:
We do not want to be part of the rapid pace and pressure in society and on consumers to constantly upgrade software. We want Cottage Med to remain affordable for doctors in developing countries and non-profit efforts. Our upgrades will come slowly and responsibly as our patients need. Please use FileMaker versions 5 or 6 if available. All commercial FileMaker EHR's use FileMaker Server 5.5 and there are no features in FileMaker 7 that a doctor needs. Save your money to spend some more time with your children and spouse until we leapfrog from FM 5/6 to FM 8 in October 2006. :)
Please keep sending your questions our way!