The Messages Inbox

Handling Messages from the Messaging Inbox

Opening Your Messages

You can open your Messages Inbox from 2 places:

1. From the bottom of the patient chart (Records Menu), click on the middle button to open the Messages Inbox

· Using the buttons on the bottom left and right, you can review previous and next messages; PSS will take
you to appropriate patient’s chart where you can view the patient’s yellow message, sitting on the chart

· If the bottom center button is flashing there are messages that have a due date of ASAP

2. From main PSS toolbar, select Messages and then Show Messages.

· The Messages Inbox window opens and will display all active messages

The Messages Inbox Description

The Six Tabs Menu Bar

· The message window provides six views (tabs) of messages: Your In Box; Involving You; Everyone’s Messages;
Recently Archived; This Patient and Recently Archived This Patient

· These tabs are helpful ways to filter your messages.
E.g. If you have sent a message to a colleague but would like to still keep track of it, review the Involving You tab.

The Messages Inbox Columns

· The first blank column lists the initials of any user that you are covering for. If blank, the message belongs to you.

· To assign coverage for messages, select Messages, View Another User’s Messages, and select from the drop down list that will appear

· Any message that requires a Reply Requested will have an RR in this first blank column

· The second blank Column shows a legend for your messages:

Red = overdue; blue = due today; black = due in the future

!	originally entered with due date “Today”
!!	originally entered with due date “ASAP”

· The other columns include: Message originator (Orig.), Reply to, Due Date, Patient, Subject, Active Messages
Received and Needing Action

· Note that the messages are sorted by Due Date, however you can click on any header to sort accordingly

Handling Messages from the Messaging Inbox

At the bottom of the Messages Box, once a message is selected, the following options are available to you:

· Go To This Patient – opens the patient chart (with the message)

· Archive – Opens a window that gives you the option to copy the message contents into a Progress Note for
your patient. You can document entire message conversations into a patient’s chart. (Be sure to check off the box!)
PSS will then archive the message.

· Reply – allows you to respond to a message

· Forward – allows you to forward the message to another colleague

· Append – used to add additional information to the message

· New Message – avoid using this button to create a new message. The recommended and safest workflow
is to first open a patient chart and then send a message from the patient’s chart

· Done – closes the Messages screen