Patient Communications | Messaging and Tasks

Patient Communications gives staff a secure message conversation with each patient inside the chart, can text or email the patient when a new message is waiting, and creates tasks so staff know when a patient has sent a message or finished their paperwork. This guide is part of Patient Communications.

Overview

• Secure Messages in the chart shows the full conversation with the patient and lets staff reply.

• Secure Message Notifications texts or emails the patient to log in and read a new message.

• Patient Message Tasks creates a task when a patient sends a message.

• Completed Paperwork Notifications creates a task, and optionally an email, when a patient finishes forms or responds to a consent.

Message a patient

1. Open the patient's chart, then Patient Communications. Secure Messages opens first.

2. The conversation shows every message between the patient and your staff, including messages sent from Canvas messaging. The newest 20 load first; click Load older messages for more.

3. Type in the box and click Send, or press Enter. Shift+Enter starts a new line.

The message is sent from you through Canvas messaging, and the patient reads it in the patient portal. New messages appear in the conversation on their own while it's open.

• The top of the panel shows whether the patient is ✓ Portal Registered or Not Registered, and when they were last invited.

• Unread messages from the patient are marked with UNREAD MESSAGES. Click Mark all as read to mark them read; opening the conversation doesn't.

• Photos the patient sends show in the conversation; click one to see it larger.

• A warning shows when the patient has no phone number or email marked as consenting to messages, since the patient may not be notified.

Tell the patient about a new message

Secure Message Notifications on the Campaigns tab of Notifications Admin texts or emails the patient when staff send a message from Secure Messages. It is off by default and has no visit type settings.

1. Open the card, turn on its toggle, and check SMS, Email, or both.

2. Edit each Template. + Insert Field offers the patient's name, {{sender_name}} and {{sender_credentials}} for the staff member who sent the message, and your organization's details.

3. Click Save.

The email subject is "New Message". Keep message content out of the template; it tells the patient to log in to read the message. Messages sent from Canvas messaging, outside the plugin's Secure Messages, don't trigger it.

Tasks for patient messages

When a patient sends a message, the plugin creates a task New message from patient, labeled patient-message and linked to the patient. Filter the task list by that label to see who is waiting on a reply.

• The task goes to the staff member the message was sent to.

• Messages that went to Canvas Bot, rather than a staff member, go to the person chosen in Route Unassigned patient messages to, or stay unassigned.

• While a patient has an open patient-message task, new messages from them don't add another. Completing or closing the task lets the next message create a new one.

• The task doesn't include the message text.

To set it up, open the Patient Message Tasks card on the Campaigns tab. Create a task when a patient sends a message is on by default. Choose who gets unassigned messages under Route Unassigned patient messages to (Leave unassigned by default), then click Save.

Tasks for completed paperwork

When a patient submits forms or intake in the portal, or accepts or declines a consent, the plugin creates a task linked to the patient and labeled paperwork-completed:

• Completed: <form names>

• Consent accepted: <consent> or Consent declined: <consent>

The task goes to the provider of the appointment the forms were sent for, or the staff member who assigned them from the chart. When there is neither, such as consents sent to every new patient, the task is unassigned. For consents that need a provider countersignature, the task is created when the patient signs.

Completed paperwork emails

The Completed Paperwork Notifications card on the Campaigns tab also sends an email. Tasks are created whatever these settings are.

• Send an email when a patient: Completes a form or intake and Accepts or declines a consent. Both are on by default.

• Send the email to: The staff member the task is assigned to (on by default) and These email addresses (off by default), for addresses such as a shared front-desk inbox, separated by commas. These addresses are emailed even when the task is unassigned, and their email says who the task is assigned to.

While either email is on, at least one place to send it must be chosen.

The email's subject doesn't name the patient. The body names them by first initial and last name, for example "J. Smith completed a questionnaire.", and links to the submission. Staff who click the link go to the patient's chart, on the note holding the answers when there is one; anyone not signed in to Canvas is asked to sign in first. Staff need an email address on their staff record to get these emails.

Message notes on the timeline

Notes of the note type named "Message" are hidden from the patient's timeline in the chart while the plugin is installed.

Troubleshooting