Friday, July 31, 2009

FOLLOWUP VS. FOLLOW-UP VS. FOLLOW UP

Followup (noun -- and sometimes an adjective) -- Transcribed as one word

The patient will have home health followup for more...

He was seen in followup for his broken wrist...

Follow-up (adjective) -- Transcribed hyphenated (the hyphen is no longer necessary; it is acceptable, but not the preferred way of transcribing it according to the AAMT BOS. However on Cook since they want limited hyphens, we type the adjective 'followup' as one word.)

He will return for a followup visit... On accounts other than Cook, it would be okay to transcribe, 'He will return for a follow-up visit…'

He was given a followup appointment.... On accounts other than Cook, it would be okay to transcribe, 'He was given a followup appointment…'

Follow up (verb) – Transcribed as two words, no hyphen

The patient will follow up after....

The patient will follow up on Tuesday...

The patient will follow up with her PMC...

He will follow up in two weeks....

TIP: The check yourself with the above terms, try saying the phrase with an "s" on the word "follow" (i.e., she follows up). It doesn't make sense to say "she comes in for a follows-up visit" – it must be she comes in for a follow-up visit. It doesn't make sense to say "the patient follows up will be in three weeks" – it must be the patient's followup will be in three weeks, right? However, it does make sense to say "she follows up in three weeks" – in this case two words would be correct because it is used as a verb.

You can use the above tip for similar terms such as "workup vs. work up vs. work-up" and "makeup vs. make-up vs. make up," etc.

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Followup or follow up?

In a sentence, if you want to find out whether followup is one word or two, just try to putting an "a" before "followup". If it is grammatically correct with the "a", then followup should be one word. Now let's see how it works:

Example #1: The patient will ?followup/follow up? in my clinic in 2 weeks.

Ask yourself, does this make sense?

· The patient will a followup in my clinic in 2 weeks!!!

No…so here it should be "follow up" (two words)

Example #2: The patient is to have followup with Dr. Jones.

Ask yourself, does this make sense?

· The patient is to have a followup with Dr. Jones.

FOLLOWUP VERSUS FOLLOW UP

Followup (Noun/Adjective)

Follow up (Verb)

The patient has a followup appointment next week.

Followup will be in my office to remove staples.

We will have a followup CT scan to ensure there is no growth.

The patient will follow up to have her staples removed.

We are going to follow up her tumor to ensure there is no growth.

FOLLOWUP VS. FOLLOW UP

Followup (noun or adjective) -- Transcribed as one word

The patient will have home health followup for more...
He will return for a followup visit...
He was soon in followup for his broken wrist...
He was given a followup appointment....


Follow up (verb) – Transcribed as two words, no hyphen (the hyphen is no longer necessary; it is acceptable, but not the preferred way of transcribing it according to the AAMT BOS)

The patient will follow up after....
The patient will follow up on Tuesday...
The patient will follow up with her PMC...
He will follow up in two weeks....

TIP: The check yourself with the above terms, try saying the phrase with an "s" on the word "follow" (i.e., she follows up). It doesn't make sense to say "she comes in for a follows up visit" – it must be she comes in for a followup visit. It doesn't make sense to say "the patient follows up will be in three weeks" – it must be the patient's followup will be in three weeks, right? However, it does make sense to say "she follows up in three weeks" – in this case two words would be correct because it is used as a verb.

You can use the above tip for similar terms such as "workup vs. work up" and "makeup vs. make up," etc.

CONFUSING WORDS

CONFUSING WORD PAIRS

accede: stick to agreement
exceed: surpass

accept: receive
except: exclude

adapt: adjust
adept: proficient

adverse: opposed
averse: not interested

affect: change, influence
effect: (v) to bring about (n) result, impression

all right: all right
alright: outdated usage

allude: refer to indirectly
elude: avoid

altar: place of worship
alter: to change

appraise: value
apprise: inform, notify

capital:seat of government; money
capitol: building where legislative body meets

complement:something that completes (noun); to complete (verb).
compliment: a flattering remark (noun); to praise (verb)

continual: happens frequently in time: close succession
continuous: uninterrupted

emigration: moving from a country
immigration: moving to a country

eminent: outstanding, revered
imminent: threatening to happen soon

everyday: The everyday (ordinary) routine of working
every day: Call me every day (each day) this week.

farther: refers to actual distance
further: refers to figurative distance

imply: speaker implies (suggests)
infer: hearer infers (perceives)

floe: large sheet of floating ice
flow: move, run freely, circulate

lay: to set down, to place or put an item down
lie: to recline

pray: to ask for by prayer or supplication
prey: animal hunted or caught for food; victim

principal: first in authority; main participant; amount of a debt less interest
principle: basic truth or assumption

raise: to cause to lift or to lift something
rise: to ascend, move upward, or get up

real: adjective (real sugar)
really: adverb (really wishing for...)

set: to place something somewhere
sit: to be in a position of rest or to be seated

stationary: not moving: fixed
stationery: writing material: letterhead, envelopes, etc.

suit: a set of clothes; legal action
suite: number of items making up a set, series, or sequence

waiver: the giving up of a claim
waver: to hesitate; also tremble or quaver

Confusing Word Triplets

ensure: to make sure or certain; guarantee; to protect

insure: to take out or issue insurance; to pay or be paid money in the case of loss

assure: convince, make sure of something, to give confidence; to declare or promise confidently

to: in the direction of; toward

too: in addition; as well, also

two: more than one; less than three

their: belonging to; possessive of "they"

there: at, or in that place

they're: combination of "they are"

AFFECT VS. EFFECT

One of the MTs asked for this information. I thought I'd share it with all of you.

One site I visited said this:

Generally, affect is a verb (action -- doing it) and effect is a noun (the thing that resulted).

Another site I visited said this:

The simplest way into the issue is, If you're going to do it, use "affect." If it's something already done, use "effect."

Yet another site had this:

affect = verb meaning to influence: Will lack of sleep affect your game?

effect = noun meaning result or consequence: Will lack of sleep have an effect on your game?

effect = verb meaning to bring about, to accomplish: Our efforts have effected a major change in university policy.

A fourth site had this:

1) When "affect" is accented on the final syllable (a-FECT), it is a verb meaning "have an influence on":

"The million-dollar donation from the industrialist did not affect my vote against the Clean Air Act."

2) A much rarer meaning is indicated when the word is accented on the first syllable (AFF-ect), meaning "emotion."

In this case the word is used mostly by psychiatrists and social scientists— people who normally know how to spell it.

3) The real problem arises when people confuse the first spelling with the second: "effect." This too can be two different words.

The more common one is a noun: "When I left the stove on, the effect was that the house filled with smoke."

4) The less common is a verb meaning "to create": "I'm trying to effect a change in the way we purchase widgets."

No wonder people are confused.

When you affect a situation, you have an effect on it.

Note especially that the proper expression is not "take affect" but "take effect"—become effective.