Patient Messaging

The Patient Messaging App is a Vision 3 app that allows you to both send and receive messages to and from your patients, without having to leave Vision 3.

Your patients have access to this facility from within the Patient Services website.

 

 

To enable Patient Messaging:

  1. From Vision 3 - Management Tools select Control Panel – File Maintenance - Online Services .

  2. The Vision Online Services screen displays.

  3. Tick Patient Messaging Enabled to enable Patient Messaging.

  1. Select OK to save and close.

To ensure messages are received by the appropriate staff you must populate the Online Patient Messaging staff group. If you do not populate the Online Patient Messaging group, a 'No Online Patient Messages are being received as you are not configured correctly' message displays on the Vision 3 front screen:

To populate the Online Patient Messaging staff group:

  1. From Control Panel - File Maintenance, select Staff Groups.
  2. Select the + next to Practice to display Mail Groups.
  3. Select Mail Groups and the available groups display in the right hand pane.
  4. Right click on the Online Patient Messaging group and select Add Staff Member(s).
  5. Whilst holding the <Ctrl> key down, select all staff that you want to be able to access Patient Messages.
  6. Select OK to save and close.

To read and respond to messages sent from your patients:

  1. Select the Online Patient Messaging app .
    • If you have triggered the app from the Vision 3 front screen, or from Apps Controller the patient with the most recently received message is automatically selected.
    • If you have triggered the Online Patient Messaging app from Consultation Manager the patient you have selected there is automatically selected.
  1. The Online Patient Messaging screen displays:

  1. On the left hand pane, select the patient whose message you wish to read.
  2. The message(s) displays in the right side pane.
  3. Process the message according to your practice protocols, integrated options are:
  1. Once you have finished with the message, select Read to complete the process.

To reply to an Online Patient Message:

  1. Simply click and type your reply in Write a message (maximum number of characters is 1000).
  2. Select Send to send the reply.
  3. Your patient receives email notification that a message is available in Patient Services for them.
Note - Should you try to select another patient, without clicking Send on a current message, you are presented with a 'Switching to another patient will lose the unsent message you have typed below. Do you want to continue?' message. Select OK to close the message, or Cancel to stay with the message you have not sent. Should you try to exit the app, without clicking Send on a current message, you are presented with a 'Your unsent message will be lost, would you like to send it now before continuing?' message. Select Yes to send the message, or No to lose the message you have not sent.

Online patient messages do not currently file automatically therefore, if a message is clinically relevant, it must be manually copied to the patient record within Consultation Manager.

To copy a patient message to their clinical record:

  1. From the Patient Messaging App, with the correct patient selected, right click on the message required.
  2. Select Copy.

  1. Select Open Consultation Manager to open the correct patients' record.
  2. Select Add - Notepad.
  3. The Notepad - Add screen displays:

  1. Complete as follows:
    • Date - defaults to today, enter the date of the message.
    • Clinician - Defaults to the clinician logged in or the patient's Usual GP.
    • Type of note - Select ROSU Message.
    • Subject of note - Enter a title for this message.
    • Date action to be taken - (Optional) Enter a date for action to be taken by, standard Vision 3 dates can be used here eg 2d for 2 days.
    • Action staff - (Optional) Select from the available list.
      Note - Select <Ctrl> and the letter V to paste the note text.
  1. Select OK to save and close.

You can send a message to any of your patients that are fully registered for online patient services without them having initiated the communication. To send a message to your patient:

  1. From either:
    • Consultation Manager, with the correct patient selected, select Apps - Select App - Patient Messaging.
    • Apps Controller, select Patient Messaging and when requested, select your patient in the usual way.
  1. Enter your message in Write a message, up to 1000 characters and select Send.
  2. Your patient receives an email from noreply@patient-services.co.uk notifying them of the message and requesting they log into Patient Services to view the message. The email reads 'You are in receipt of a message from your GP Practice, please login to your Online Patient Services account to view this message'.

Patient Messaging Help for your patients is available from here.

Note - To print this topic select the printer in the top right corner and follow the on-screen prompts.