C9 Connect's Two-Way Messaging feature allows users to send text messages to patients within the Cloud 9 platform, providing real-time notifications through flashing alerts for new messages. The messaging view displays all two way messaging communications between the practice and patients/responsible parties, including their responses. The Two Way Messaging module also displays automated text reminders to enhance efficiency. This article outlines the Two-Way Messaging module's features and how to use it, ensuring your practice stays current with patient communications.
Accessing Two Way Messaging
- Can access by clicking View > Two Way Messaging within Cloud 9 Software.
- Can also access Two Way Messaging by clicking the message icon in upper right corner of Cloud 9.
Employee Permissions - For employees to have access to Two Way Messaging, the correct permission will need to be selected by office staff who can access Edit > Setup > Employees. Once you have navigated to Edit > Setup > Employees, add the permission: Enable Two-Way Texting. This must be set up by an admin at the practice who can add employee permissions.
Two Way Messaging Screen Overview
When you navigate to the Two Way Messaging Screen the left hand side displays: - A list of all the Two Way Messages/Conversations.
- A drop down to pick different locations if multiple locations are set up with Two Way Messaging.
- The eye icon to toggle message flash notifications. This is set up per user, and the eye can be selected for new messages to flash when received, or toggle it off to turn the feature off.
- The search icon allows you to search for specific people. Once you click it, it will allow you to search by name or phone number.
- The filter icon allows you to filter message conversations within Two Way Messaging.
It will display the below filters to choose from when you click it.
Viewing a Two Way Message - On the left hand side it will automatically put all unsent messages at the bottom of the message history rather then the top, providing quicker access to actionable messages.
- Once you click one of the messages on the left hand side, the right hand side of the screen will populate the conversation, showing you what was sent and some different buttons/options.
- Across the top in blue a display shows the phone number and patient name. On the right hand side of this blue section there this button:
Once you click this button, a screen will pop over and show different patients/family members who are linked to this patient, (Marked 'Is Family' in Edit > Patient > Relationships Tab), as well as their future appointments. To close this section, click the white arrow button again and you will be back on the main conversation viewing the messages. (Screenshot Below.)
- Across the top in blue a display shows the phone number and patient name. On the right hand side of this blue section there this button:
- Inside the main message screen on a message sent from the practice there is a hamburger menu that will allow you to mark the message as unread, or assign the conversation to a specific employee.
- If you have completed the assigned task for a message, you can mark it as complete, which will unassign it from the selected employee. Alternatively, if a conversation was assigned to you in error, you can remove the assignment to remove yourself from the task. To do so, click the three lines on the left side of the message being viewed; this will present options to remove or complete the assignment. Either option will unassign the conversation from the current assignee.
- In the reply box at the bottom that says type here, you can type your message and use the blue send button to send the message when ready.
- The eye icon inside of the message above the send button allows you to toggle new message notifications on or off for this specific conversation only.
- The button above the eye on the right hand side of the message screen will have future functionality for assigning conversations but it is not yet live.
- The lightning bolt button is for text responses that you send regularly. These are called Quick Notes. They can be set up in Edit > Setup > Quick Notes. When you set them up for two way messaging, you must label the type two way messaging in Edit > Setup > Quick Notes, that is what makes them populate in this list. Hovering over the quick notes option you may want to send will show you a preview of that message above it in gray as indicated in the screenshot below.
- When viewing the two way message conversation, anything marked automated means it came from an automated reminder based on how the text reminders are set up in C9 Connect Appointment Campaigns, and messages that do not say automated come from a user sending a message from within the two way messaging module.
It is still advisable to utilize the Reminders Dashboard to monitor your appointment reminders; however, receiving text notifications through the two-way messaging feature enables you to access a complete text history. For more details about Reminders dashboard, please see this article: C9 Connect Reminders Dashboard.
Additionally, for the automated reminders to send correctly, they must first be set up in Appointment Campaigns. For more details please see this article: C9 Connect Appointment Campaigns.
As always, if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Cloud 9 Support by emailing us at cloud9support@planetdds.com, or chatting us online using the chat bubble on the lower right at https://cloud9support.planetdds.com/hc/en-us, or giving us a call during our business hours of 8:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST at the 1.800.394.6050 option 2.