How to Use the Messaging and Task System

Summary

The Task/Message Tracking subsystem supports messaging between users. A user can create and assign tasks or messages to other users. Users can view and manage their own list of tasks or messages that have been assigned to them.

Tasks and messages can be sent from multiple places within the system. These include the user messages window on the toolbar, the visit entry window, the Provider Charting window, the Orders entry window, the medical activity results entry window and the patient window on the Clinic Status Whiteboard. Messages sent from anywhere but the toolbar are associated with the specific visit. Messages sent from an order or a medical activity are additionally associated with that item.

When a message or task is being read the user has the ability to acknowledge, decline, complete or forward it to another user. Messages and tasks can be canceled before they are read by the original sender. When this is done, the recipient will be able to view it, but not acknowledge, decline, or forward it. When the recipient views a message associated with a visit (and order or activity), a button allows displaying the related visit, and where appropriate, order or activity.

Messaging Setup

Net Health Employee Health and Occupational Medicine Messaging must be turned on to be available. This is done on the MISC tab of Clinic System Parameters. Check the box labeled Use Internal User Messaging and Task Subsystem to turn on this function. A second option, Enable Message/Task Notification,sets Net Health Employee Health and Occupational Medicine to notify the user when a new Message/Task is received by blinking the Message Icon on the toolbar three times and turning it green. It will remain green until the incoming Message/Task has been completed.

User Roles

Once Messaging has been turned on it becomes possible to create groups of users, and then send a single message to an entire group. We call these groups "Roles". For example, there might be a role called "Front Desk". If five users are assigned to this role, when you address a single message to the Front Desk role, it will be distributed to all five users.

Roles are created by clicking the User Roles button on the Home Nav Bar of the Net Health Employee Health and Occupational Medicine Admin program. In User Code Setup there is a new field called User Login Role that allows you to assign that rule to that user.

If you are using the Roles feature, messages received because of a role do not show on the message screen until the Include Roles checkbox in the upper right is checked. If your Message Icon is green, but you don't see any open Messages/Tasks there is a good chance that you have received one sent to a role, but not checked that box to display it.

What Do You Want To Do?

View messages

1. There are two ways to review messages.

   • Click the Review Messages and Tasks button found on the toolbar to review all of your messages, regardless or the patient.

   • Click the Review Messages and Tasks button found at the locations listed above to view your messages associated with a specific patient, visit, etc.

The first method will display the [Reviewing user Messages and Assigned Tasks] window:


The second method will display what is in essence the same window, but with several differences. The title of the window will be [Reviewing Messages and Assigned Tasks for Patient ...]. The Origin and Include Roles controls will not be displayed.

Sort the table by a column by clicking that column header. This includes Date and Time, but not Type.
The Type in the first column will be one of four possible setting:

• Task or Assignment

• Message or Notification

• Acknowledgement

• Declination

2. The default Origin is Incoming. You can change it to Outgoing or All to change the messages displayed.

3. Optionally, enter From and Thru dates to limit the display to a particular date range.

4. The default Status is Open. This displays unread messages and tasks. You can change it as shown above.

5. When Include Roles is checked, messages which this user received that were sent to a User Role instead of directly will also be displayed.

6. To read a message or task, highlight it and click Read, then follow the instructions below to complete it.

7. To send a new message or task, click Send New, and follow the instructions below.

8. Click Close to exit.

Send a message

1. There are two ways to send a message.

   • Click the Send Message or Task icon . ( This can be found at the several locations listed above.)

   • Click the Review Messages and Tasks icon . (This can be found at the locations listed above as well as on the toolbar, always displayed at the top of the screen.) Then, click the Send New button.

Either of these approaches will display the [New Message or Task] window:

2. A message can be associated with a specific patient in two ways.

   • If the message is being sent from a location associated with a specific patient, such as the [Enter Visit] window or the EMR, the message will automatically be associated with that patient, and the name will be displayed as seen above.

   • If it is being sent from a general location, such as the toolbar, a patient can optionally be associated with the message by clicking the table icon which will be displayed where the patient name is seen above.

3. Select the Type by clicking the appropriate radio button: Messge or Notification, or Task Assignment.

4. Address the message in one of two ways:

   • Send to a single user by clicking the table icon beside To User. A list of users will be displayed. Search for and select the one you want.

   • Send to a group of users by clicking the table icon beside Role. A list of User Roles will be displayed. Search for and select the one you want.

5. Enter the message in the Summary field.

6. If the message is associated with a patient, clicking the REFERENCE tab will show the details. It will show the patient name, and information about the related visit, order, activity, or image.

   

7. Click OK to send the message.

Read a message

1. On one of the Reviewing Messages windows, find and highlight the message or task of interest. Then click the Read button to display the [Review Received Message or Task] window:

   

   • The Type of message is shown at the top of the window: Task or Assignment, Message or Notification, Acknowledgement, or Declination.

1. • From User shows who sent the message, with the date and time to the right.

   • Fwd From shows who forwarded the message, if it was forwarded. The date and time to the right tell when it was forwarded. (From User shows the original sender.)

   • Recipient is the current recipient.

   • Reference indicates if this message is associated with a patient, and additionally, if it is associated with a visit, chart note, etc.

   • Summary shows the message.

   • If this is a forwarded, declined, or acknowledged message, Comments will show the message from the original recipient.

   • Labs display the Lab Results window for this patient with all of their lab test results history instead of just the Results for the one ordered test.

   

2. If this message is associated with a visit, order, etc., then the appropriate button or buttons beside Go To will be enabled. Clicking will display the related item.

   

3. Click the button for the appropriate Response.

1. • If this message is an acknowledgement, declination, or forwarded item, the only response available will be Complete and Close.

   • Click Ack to send an automatic message to the sender saying "Acknowledged by (recipient) on (date) at (time)."

   • Click Decline to display the [Decline this Message or Task] window. You will be able to enter a Comment and then click OK to send the declination back to the sender.

   • Click Forward to display the [Select User] window. Highlight the correct user, and click Select to display the [Forward this Message or Task] window. Enter a Comment, then click OK to forward the message.

   • Click Complete and Close to mark the Message or Task as having been read, then close the window.