This option provides you access to the two types of messages: Clinical Messages and Patient Requests. You may have tabs for one or both of these options at the top of the screen.
Your access to the Patient Requests tab depends on whether you have been assigned to any of the “desks” that receive patient requests. By default, you see all requests associated with your authorized locations (practices), but you can choose to limit requests to your current location. The Patient View tab allows you to view all of the Clinical Messages and Patient Requests with the selected patient attached or that have been sent to that patient (again, you only see those Patient Requests for “desks” to which you have been assigned).
Features
You can reply, forward, print, and delete messages. For Patient Requests, you can also assign messages to other members of your practice. All messages sent are accessible only to you, your practice, authorized providers, and the patient (as appropriate). Messages are not sent over the Internet using regular mail. (Clinical Messages can also be sent to and received from Epic and GE Centricity from authorized PHS practices.)
Unread items display in bold. Click the subject link for the message you want to read. The message opens and is displayed on the right of the screen. The left of the screen allows you to select and display other messages in the queue.
Note:
For
Clinical Messages, an icon (
) in the upper
right corner of the webshell indicates the count for high priority
messages vs the count for non-high priority messages in your queue.
High priority messages are shown first. You can click the icon
at any time to go to your Clinical Messages.
For Patient Requests, the indicator New displays in the tab title when you have unread items for your currently selected location. If you are set up for Email Notifications, when a new message arrives here a notice is also sent to any Internet addresses you have specified (including Outlook).
Icons indicate if a message has been replied to (
)
or forwarded (
). Hover your
mouse pointer over the icon to display the date and time of the most
recent action.
Retention
Sent messages are deleted after 30 days (not sent to the Inactive queue). Draft messages are never deleted. Active messages are deleted after 60 days for Patient Requests and 30 days for Clinical Messages. Inactive (items you’ve deleted) are removed after 30 days for Patient Requests and 21 days for Clinical Messages.