RE: Medical Software Industry

["Sonja Marnewick" <Sonjam -at- medemass -dot- com>]

HI Felice

I hope you don't mind me posting you direct, I just noticed your
company, and thought I would give you a buzz.

Im new to technical writing and started a job as a writer in the Medical
Software industry, Practice Management Applications.   We currently have
NO documentation, whatsoever, and I'm required to write new manuals,
training manuals, technical installation manuals, etc.  I have been on
the RoboHelp course about a month ago - I add that to my things to be
greatefull for every night :)

What I was wondering is, if you guys have any advice on specific layouts
for these types of manuals.  What Im doing currently, is using the
following steps, and trying to keep it consistent to each topic
throughout the manuals"

1.  Overview/Definition of topic
2.  Set-up/Imports/Technical
3.  Accessing (buttons, menu's etc)
4.  Using the application (per topic)
5.  Working With (Quick start)

I use this becouse I'm trying to keep it single source, with conditional
build tags on the technical/set-up, quickstart, and training sections.

At the start of the manual, I obviously have the Front page, intended
audience, how to use the manual, trademarks and disclaimers, and credits
pages.  At the back I have the glossary, and index pages.

Do you think this is the correct layout to use for this industry, and is
there anything you think I should add?  I am having great difficulty in
getting my SME's to give info, since they are all sitting in their
development room, and I'm stuck in my "fishbowl" at the end of the next
passage.  What I started to do was draw flowcharts of the different
modules (note: I am not saying it is DFD's - Im not at that level yet)

I now request meetings with them one by one, and take a single section,
work through it, pick their brains, ask my questions, and document it.
Afterwards we review it, and eventually I'm hoping it will all fit
together, make sense and I will learn the software (complete lack of
training here....)  I started to grasp the medical terminology and
industry standards (nightmare), so I guess this is a start.  

Any input to make my life any easier??



Regards,

Sonja Marnewick
Senior Training Officer

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