25 NextGen Keyboard Shortcuts & Hot Keys

NextGen EHR, a leading electronic health record (EHR) system, provides robust tools to enhance clinical workflows and track patient care. You can further improve your practice efficiency if you know how to use NextGen keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys. Keyboard shortcuts can reduce time spent on repetitive tasks, simplify navigation, and increase overall productivity.

This article presents common shortcuts to help new and long-time users of NextGen streamline processes.

NextGen specific keyboard shortcuts

These shortcuts are specific to NextGen’s features. With these simple shortcuts, you can access different modules, select multiple items in lists, and do much more. 

1. Toggle Main Toolbar – Alt + M toggles the toolbar
2. Show Patient Lookup screen – Alt + P shows the patient lookup screen
3. Show the Work Flow module – Alt + F3 pulls up your workflow module
4. Exit from the EHR application – Alt+ F4/Alt + X
5. Log out from the EHR application – Alt + L
6. Opens the User Workgroups window – Alt+F5
7. Opens the PAQ – F8
8. Esc – Closes alerts within the NextGen application
9. Alt + Down Arrow – Drops down the pick list options
10. Alt + Tab – Switches between open applications
11. Ctrl + Tab – Switches between one open window and another within the NextGen application

Menu shortcuts

In NextGen, it is common to see underlined letters in words through the software. Whenever you see these underlined letters, press the “Alt” key and that specific letter to open the underlined menu.

12. Alt + Underlined Letter – Selects an option (eg: Alt + N selects Next)
13. File Dropdown Menu – Alt+F
14. Default Dropdown Menu – Alt+D
15. View Dropdown Menu – Alt+V
16. Tool Dropdown Menu – Alt+T
17. Utilities Dropdown Menu – Alt+U
18. Window Dropdown Menu – Alt+W
19. Help Dropdown Menu – Alt+H

Workflow shortcuts

These are not necessarily typing shortcuts, but they are easy ways to optimize your workflow. 

20. Navigating through the Group Checkin/Create Encounter window or the Group Checkin/Add to Existing window – Use the Tab key of your computer to move to the next field, and press the Shift + Tab keys to go to the previous field.

21. Split your view between two tabs – Open the two templates or modules. Now, right-click on one tab and select “New Vertical Tab Group” from the drop-down menu. Both tabs will display side by side. Choose the “Horizontal” tab group to view them from top to bottom.

22. Quick Notes – Building Quick Notes allows you to document components of a visit with responses before a patient comes for an appointment. You can enter symptoms or responses to questions you most frequently expect. Once you apply the Quick Note, you can make a few simple changes where there are exceptions and add documentation to fill in the unique aspect of this particular visit. 

23. Print multiple prescriptions: Hold down the CTRL button, then select the medications you wish to print or eRx a prescription for. Once you highlight the prescriptions, click the “Print” or “Send” option to complete the task.

24. Insert lab results into a document: To include lab values in a document, right-click the spot where you want to insert a lab result. Choose Insert Lab Results from the list. Select the lab(s) you wish to include in the document, then click “Ok.” 

25. Unknown Strength: Sometimes, a patient does not recall the strength of the drug they are taking. This leaves a provider struggling with how to include the medication in the patient’s record without guessing at the strength. Select the medication in question. Search for and select any strength of that specific drug, and choose the correct form (capsule vs. oral solution). In the lower section of the Medication Module, click the drug to bring up strength options. Unknown Strength is an option. By selecting that option, you add the medication to the patient’s record whileindicating that the medication is managed elsewhere.

Leverage TextExpander to increase productivity

TextExpander is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance  NextGen EHR users’ productivity. By allowing healthcare professionals to create custom shortcuts for frequently used phrases, medical terms, and patient instructions, TextExpander streamlines documentation processes. Instead of typing out long and repetitive text, users can enter a short abbreviation, and TextExpander will automatically expand it to the full text.

These text templates not only save time but also reduce the risk of errors and ensure consistency in documentation. Integrating TextExpander with NextGen EHR helps clinicians focus more on patient care than administrative tasks, ultimately leading to a more efficient and effective practice.