General FAQ

• How do I start?

  Open Cottage_Med and use 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 yellow... (Read More)

• 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 we mean and love it! You can dictate any note by starting ... (Read More)

• Why can’t it find files when it runs?

  It does. CottageMed learns as it runs. 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... (Read More)

• Why does it print off the page?

  This information became mostly obsolete with the 2009-2010 version 2.6.1 where we rewrote whole pages of the program to make it work on PC's which lack an intelligent way to scale screen dumps cor... (Read More)

• Why do I get an error when clicking on the calendar (or other buttons) on the layout?

  There are a few file links which you need to tailor to your particular computer and application preferences. Please write us if you have any trouble fixing shortcuts or program links and aliases. ... (Read More)

• Why doesn’t the "synch" button work?

  This feature is present but obsolete due to a lack of physician demand for synchronized data selections. It does still prepare files for tablet use and mobile use where your machine memory may be limi... (Read More)

• 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 separ... (Read More)

• How do I upgrade to a newer version of Cottage Med?

  The upgrade process has been partly automated and is fairly painless. First in your old version back up all records with the "Backup" button on the opening home screen near the big red start... (Read More)

• 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 other Microsoft tools.

• 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. More win... (Read More)

• 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 y... (Read More)

• Is Cottage Med compatible with FileMaker version "blank"?

  YES. Cottage Med is fully tested on all FileMaker versions 5 through 12+. The current release runs on Filemaker v. 7-12+, but we recommend Filemaker version 9. Filemaker version 7 was buggy and versio... (Read More)