Direct messaging lets staff send a patient an SMS from inside Care Team, without using a personal phone or leaving the visit. It is useful for a short update that does not warrant a visit to the bedside.
Messages are one way. The patient receives the message and cannot reply to it, so it suits notice rather than conversation.
Sending a message
Find the patient in the Visits list and select the speech bubble next to their name. The form confirms the number the message will be sent to before anything is sent.
Write the message, or select one of the quick messages configured for the facility. Messages are limited to 300 characters, and the form counts down the characters remaining as it is typed.
The speech bubble in the Visits list
When the speech bubble is missing
Messaging is enabled per facility, so the speech bubble does not appear where it is switched off. A patient must also have received their welcome SMS before a message can be sent to them, which confirms the number on record actually reaches a mobile.
Where a number looks wrong, it can be corrected and the invite resent from the invite form, which is reached from the same row.
Frequently asked questions
Can the patient reply?
No. Messages are one way. A patient needing to raise something uses a request in the patient app, which arrives as a task.
Does the patient see the sender's phone number?
No. The message is sent through Vital, and the staff member's own number is never shared, including when sending from a personal device.
Can the quick messages be changed?
Yes. They are configured per facility. A customer success representative can add or amend them.
Why can a message not be sent to a particular patient?
The most common reason is that the welcome SMS has not reached them, which usually means the number on record is a landline or is incorrect. Correcting the number and resending the invite resolves it.