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, open the Actions menu at the end of their row, and select Send Message. The Send Message tab in the visit details opens the same form.
Send Message in the Actions menu of the Visits list
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. Messages are limited to 300 characters, and the form counts down the characters remaining as it is typed. Select Send to send it.
The quick messages depend on the type of visit. Emergency and inpatient visits each have their own set.
The Send Message form, with quick messages and sent messages
Checking what has been sent
Sent messages below the form lists every message staff have sent the patient during this visit, newest first. Each entry names the sender and the time, with a delivery status.
Status | Meaning |
Delivered | The carrier confirmed the message reached the phone |
Sent | The message left Vital. Some carriers never confirm delivery, so this can be the final status |
Not delivered | The message could not be delivered |
Check the list before sending, so the same message is not sent twice.
When Send Message is missing
Messaging is enabled per facility, so Send Message does not appear where it is switched off. In the Visits list, the Actions menu offers Invite instead of Send Message when a message cannot be sent. This happens when the patient's access is deactivated, or when the number on record cannot receive texts.
When the number cannot receive texts, the form displays This patient cannot receive SMS messages. When the patient has opted out (for example, by replying STOP), it displays This patient has opted out of SMS messages.
Where a number looks wrong, it can be corrected and the invite resent from the invite form. Select Wrong mobile number or resending an invite? below the message form, or open the Invite tab in the visit details.
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. Vital sets them for each customer, and a facility can have its own set. 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 number on record cannot receive texts, usually because it is a landline or is incorrect. Correcting the number and resending the invite resolves it. A patient who has opted out of SMS does not receive messages from the care team.