Beaverlog Tips: Volume 27 - August 22, 2005

Window Sizes and Positions

Many of the windows in The THERAPIST can be stretched to make them larger, either taller, wider, or both. Almost all of the windows can be moved to different screen locations. In most cases, The THERAPIST will remember the last position and size next time you open the window. Sometimes, due to the slip of a mouse, a window can be sized and positioned in such a way that you cannot see the entire window or cannot see the window at all!

Fortunately, The THERAPIST gives you two ways to return windows to their original size and position. To reset a single window, simply hold down either the the Shift key or Ctrl while closing the window. Next time it opens it will once again appear in its initial location and size. If the window is off screen and you cannot close it, the window can be closed by pressing Ctrl+F4. This is a standard Windows key combination for closing a window but, because it uses the Ctrl key, it will also restore the window to its original size and screen position.

If you want to reset the sizes of all of The THERAPIST's windows at once, you can do it from the Window menu by selecting the Reset Window Sizes option. Selecting this option will close all open windows so that they will be reset to their initial sizes and positions.

Windows Growing Taller

Windows XP changed the way it reports the window height to application programs when using the newer XP screen style using the 3D window captions. This causes The THERAPIST to think a window is a little taller than it actually is when it saves the window sizes. Then, next time you open the window, The THERAPIST tells the window to make itself a little taller than it was last time. This only happens on resizable windows but it makes them grow a bit taller every time you open the window. Pretty soon, some of these windows get too tall to fit completely on the screen.

The work-around requires a simple modification to one of The THERAPIST's configuration files. Follow these steps to make the change:

1. Close The THERAPIST. Click on the Windows Start button and choose Run.
2. If you are running The THERAPIST Pro, type ThWinSet.ini. If you are running The THERAPIST EZ, type TWEZSet.ini. Then click Ok to open the appropriate file in Notepad.
3. The file is grouped into sections with each section starting with a name in square brackets. The first section should be [Setup] The several lines of the section start with a semicolon and contain descriptions of the different settings below. The actual settings are in the form setting=value.
4. Look for one that starts with XPHeightAdjust. If you cannot find it, add a new line. In either case make the line look just like
     XPHeightAdjust=22
5. Save the configuration file (File > Save) then exit Notepad.

You may find that the value of 22 is either to small (if your windows keep growing) or too large (if they get shorter). You can edit the file again and try a smaller or larger number. Thought it may seem counterintuitive, larger values make the windows shorter.

National Provider ID Reminder

As of May 23, 2005, providers can apply for their National Provider Identifier. All HIPAA covered entities (providers and health plans) except small health plans must begin using the NPI on May 23, 2007; small health plans have until May 23, 2008. Go to https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov for more information or to apply for you NPI.

Just because you get an NPI does not mean you can start using it. Few payers are set up to receive them so be sure to check with your payers and/or claim receivers to learn whether you can begin using your NPI.