You can send a message or a video consultation invitation to patients who haven't created their own Patchs account if they have a valid email address or mobile telephone number. This article explains how to do this. They will receive an invitation link, and be asked to input their date of birth before being able to read and respond to the message.
Sending a Patchs message via email
1. Do not click the 'Send as SMS' box:
2. The patient receives an email:
3. Once they click the link they must consent to use Patchs, and enter their date of birth as an additional security check:
4. They can then read and respond to the message:
Sending an SMS Patchs message
1. Tick the 'Send as SMS' box:
2. The patient receives an SMS:
3. Once they click the link they must consent to use Patchs, and enter their date of birth as an additional security check
4. They can then read and respond to the message:
Always check consent first
You should only contact a patient in this way if they have not explicitly withdrawn consent to being contacted by SMS or email. You can check this by searching in their medical record for the following codes:
- Declined consent for short message service text messaging (SNOMED CT Identifier: 513631000000106)
- Declined consent to receive test results by short message service text messaging
(SNOMED CT Identifier: 911401000000108) - Declined consent for communication by email (SNOMED CT Identifier: 835231000000104)
Do not send personal information
Because these patients haven't signed up for a Patchs account, it is theoretically possible that anyone with access to their email address or phone who knows their date of birth could read the message. Therefore, you should not send personal information to these patients.