Creating Documents in Word

Week 2 — Lesson 1  |  CI2000: Computer Fundamentals

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• Given a healthcare communication need, create a new Word document from a blank page or template and enter formatted text using efficient navigation techniques (CO-4)
• Save a completed healthcare document in .docx, .pdf, and .rtf formats, selecting the appropriate format based on the document’s intended audience and use (CO-4)
• Organize Word documents into a logical folder structure using healthcare naming conventions to ensure team-wide accessibility (CO-2)
• Evaluate which Word template and file format best fits a given clinical scenario, justifying the choice based on editing needs and distribution requirements (CO-4)

Microsoft Word is the most widely used word processing application in the world, and it is an essential tool for healthcare professionals. Whether you are drafting a patient referral letter, composing a memo about new office procedures, creating a report for your supervisor, or preparing educational materials for patients, Word provides the features and flexibility you need to produce clear, professional documents.

In healthcare settings, accurate and well-organized documentation is not just a professional courtesy — it is a critical component of patient care and regulatory compliance. Medical offices, clinics, hospitals, and health systems rely on standardized documents for everything from internal communication to patient-facing materials.

The Word Interface

When you first open Microsoft Word, you are greeted by the Start screen. Once you open or create a document, you will see the main Word workspace, which includes:

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with these components. In a busy medical office, knowing exactly where to find the tool you need saves valuable time.

Every document in Word starts with one decision: Do you begin from a blank page or use a template? Both approaches are valuable, and healthcare professionals use each regularly.

Starting with a Blank Document

To create a blank document, open Word and select Blank document on the Start screen, or press Ctrl+N at any time. This gives you a clean, empty page with default formatting (typically Calibri 11pt font, single spacing, and 1-inch margins). A blank document is ideal when you need full control over the content and layout.

Using Templates

Templates are pre-designed document layouts that include formatting, placeholder text, and sometimes graphics. To access templates, select File > New and browse or search the available options.

In healthcare settings, templates are especially valuable because they help ensure consistency and compliance. Common healthcare templates include:

• Professional letters — For referral letters, appointment confirmations, and insurance correspondence
• Memos — For internal office communications about policy changes, meeting agendas, or safety announcements
• Fax cover sheets — Still used in many medical offices for transmitting patient records
• Flyers and brochures — For patient education, health awareness campaigns, and community outreach events
• Reports — For clinical summaries, quality improvement reports, and administrative reviews

▶ Microsoft Word Tutorial for Beginners • Kevin Stratvert

The blinking vertical line in the document area is your insertion point (also called the cursor). When you type, characters appear at the insertion point. Pressing Enter starts a new paragraph, and pressing Tab inserts a tab character for indentation.

Open All Panels

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for Microsoft Word

Shortcut	Action	Healthcare Use Example
Ctrl+N	Create a new blank document	Start a new patient referral letter
Ctrl+O	Open an existing document	Open a saved insurance form template
Ctrl+S	Save the current document	Save progress on a clinical report
Ctrl+Z	Undo the last action	Reverse an accidental deletion in a memo
Ctrl+Y	Redo the last undone action	Restore text you just undid
Ctrl+C	Copy selected text	Copy a medication list to another document
Ctrl+X	Cut selected text	Move a paragraph to a different section
Ctrl+V	Paste copied or cut text	Paste an address block into a referral letter
Ctrl+A	Select all text in the document	Select the entire document to change font
Ctrl+F	Open Find pane	Search for a specific diagnosis code
Ctrl+H	Open Find and Replace	Replace an old provider name throughout a document
Ctrl+P	Print the document	Print a patient information sheet
Ctrl+Home	Move to the beginning of the document	Jump to the top of a long policy manual
Ctrl+End	Move to the end of the document	Jump to the signature line at the end

Which component of the Microsoft Word interface is the wide toolbar at the top of the screen, organized into tabs like Home, Insert, and Design?

The Ribbon

The Quick Access Toolbar

The Status Bar

The Ruler

Check Answer

Answer: The Ribbon is the wide toolbar organized into tabs (Home, Insert, Design, Layout, References, Mailings, Review, View) at the top of the Word window. Each tab contains groups of related commands. The Quick Access Toolbar is the small, customizable toolbar above the Ribbon. The Status Bar is at the bottom of the window, and the Ruler is along the top and left edges of the document area.

Editing is where you refine your document — moving text from one place to another, correcting mistakes, and rearranging content for clarity.

The Clipboard: Cut, Copy, and Paste

The clipboard is a temporary storage area that holds text or other content you have cut or copied. The three core clipboard operations are:

• Copy (Ctrl+C) — Duplicates the selected text and places it on the clipboard. The original text remains in place.
• Cut (Ctrl+X) — Removes the selected text from the document and places it on the clipboard.
• Paste (Ctrl+V) — Inserts the clipboard contents at the current insertion point.

Word also offers Paste Special options via the small arrow below the Paste button on the Home tab. In healthcare documentation, Paste as Plain Text is often useful when copying information from an EHR or website.

Undo and Redo

• Undo (Ctrl+Z) — Reverses your most recent action. Press multiple times to undo several actions in sequence.
• Redo (Ctrl+Y) — Reapplies an action you just undid.

Saving your work is one of the most important habits you will develop. In a healthcare environment, losing an unsaved document can mean repeating hours of work or losing critical patient information.

Save vs. Save As

Save (Ctrl+S) updates the current file with your latest changes. Save As (F12 or File > Save As) allows you to save the document with a new name, in a new location, or in a different file format, creating a copy while leaving the original unchanged.

Understanding File Formats

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Format	Extension	Best Used For	Healthcare Example
Word Document	.docx	Default format; fully editable	Clinic policy documents, referral letters, internal memos
Word 97-2003	.doc	Compatibility with older systems	Sharing files with a partner clinic using older software
PDF	.pdf	Non-editable, universally viewable	Patient info sheets, compliance documents, emailed forms
Rich Text Format	.rtf	Cross-platform text with basic formatting	Transferring formatted text between different software
Plain Text	.txt	Text only; universal compatibility	Exporting data for import into EHR systems
Web Page	.html	Display in a web browser	Creating content for clinic intranet or patient portal

A medical office assistant needs to update a clinic policy document from 2025 and keep the original file unchanged. Which action should they use?

Press Ctrl+S to save the updated file

Use Save As (F12) to save with a new file name

Use Ctrl+Z to undo the changes and start over

Close the document without saving and create a new one

Check Answer

Answer: Save As (F12 or File > Save As) allows you to save the document with a new file name, creating a copy while leaving the original unchanged. This is the correct approach when updating an existing healthcare document because it preserves the original version for reference or compliance purposes.

Even in an increasingly digital healthcare environment, printing remains a daily necessity. Patient consent forms, prescription labels, referral letters, and office signage all require printed output.

Print Preview

Before sending a document to the printer, always review it in Print Preview. Access it by pressing Ctrl+P or selecting File > Print. The preview pane on the right shows exactly how the document will appear on paper. Review for:

• Correct margins and page orientation (portrait vs. landscape)
• Proper page breaks — text should not be cut off awkwardly between pages
• Headers and footers displaying correctly
• Images positioned where you expect them
• The correct number of pages

Print Settings

The Print screen also gives you control over printer selection, page range, number of copies, collation, and duplex printing.

File Management for Word Documents

Good file management is essential in healthcare offices that generate a high volume of documents. Apply these practices:

• Use descriptive file names — For example: Memo_StaffTraining_2026-02-15.docx
• Organize files in folders — Create a logical folder structure such as Documents > Memos > 2026
• Use version naming — Save new versions with version numbers (v1, v2, v3) or dates
• Back up important files — Save copies to OneDrive, a USB drive, or your organization’s network drive

A healthcare office needs to email a patient information sheet that patients can view but cannot accidentally edit. Which file format is the best choice?

.docx (Word Document)

.txt (Plain Text)

.pdf (Portable Document Format)

.rtf (Rich Text Format)

Check Answer

Answer: PDF (Portable Document Format) is the best choice for documents that need to be viewed but not edited. PDFs preserve the exact formatting of the original document and can be opened on virtually any device without Microsoft Word. In healthcare, PDFs are commonly used for patient handouts, consent forms, and any documents distributed electronically where accidental editing must be prevented.