Home - jacksteraz/Radiology-AHK GitHub Wiki
Welcome to the Radiology-AHK wiki!
Why Use Auto Hotkey?
AHK can help reduce the number of keystrokes and button clicks that it takes you to read a case. It could potentially reduce the risk of repetitive stress injuries, increase productivity, reduce burnout.
Another reason to consider using AHK is that your practice might use several different PACS and dictation systems, each with its own set of keyboard shortcuts. With AHK, you can create scripts that will allow you to use the same button presses on every system that you use.
Let’s start with an example of why one might want to use AHK.
Example
Like many, you might be using your hospital PACS, with Powerscribe 360 dictation software and a dictaphone microphone. So you decide to try using a headset for dictation, so you can free up one of your hands. You now no longer have a button to turn the microphone on and off. You can press F4 on your keyboard to toggle your microphone on and off. Or you can use your mouse and click on the dictate button. But F4 only works if your mouse is over the Powerscribe software box. Usually it is over the PACS box. With AHK you can create a script that allows you to push a programed button on your mouse or keypad. If the PS program is active, then it will just send F4. But if your PACS is the active window, the script will quickly activate the PS program, send F4, and then return to the PACS program.
Implementation Challenges
Locked Down Hospital Computers
Full install vs. Run locally: Use Portable version of AHK
Out of security concern, hospitals are locking down their computer workstations, making it difficult to install any additional software, without admin privileges. Some hospitals won’t let you access an inserted USB memory stick. There is a workaround. AHK can be run locally, without a full installation. Basically, this involves downloading the zip file and unpacking it into a folder. This is sometimes called the portable version.
Proprietary Hardware Manufacturers software: Purchase Hardware with On Board Memory
A related issue is that some of the gamepads and programmable mice need to have their proprietary software running on the workstation. Installing that software requires IT department admin privileges. The solution is to get devices that have onboard memory. That way you can program the mouse on a computer that you have admin rights and use the mouse on the PACS system without needing the proprietary software.
Poor Documentation by Hardware Manufacturers
A lot of people have complained about difficulty turning on the onboard memory on Logitech devices using the G Hub software.
Tips
Dummy Keys
Another concept is that you will need to assign each button press to a key or combination of keys. In general, it is best if these key assignments are not the actual keyboard shortcuts of the programs you are using. These key assignments are in effect placeholders or “Dummy Keys”. This becomes important if you want take your mouse with you and use it on different PACS systems. You are going to want to pick keys or key combinations that don’t have a function in the PACS or dictation software that you are using. Some suggested placeholder keys are: F13-24, Shift F1-Shift F12.
Example
Let's say you have one hospital that uses Fuji Synapse PACs and another that uses Intellerad. You want to program a button for CT bone windows. On Fuji the shortcut is 2, but on Intelerad the shortcut is F7. On your programmable mouse, you can program a button to send F13. AHK will be listening for F13. Your script on Fuji will send a 2, when it receives F13. The Intellerad script will send an F7 when it receives F13. So now matter which system you are working on, you will use the same button to get the Bone Windows.
Naming of your script
When running AHK locally, the script file should have the same name as the exe that you are running (AutoHotkeyU63.ahk).
AHK version
The scripts in this wiki are for version 1 of the software. Version 2 has recently been released.