Search

Picking message templates

Dr Ben Brown
Dr Ben Brown
  • Updated

When sending messages to patients you can either manually type a message or pick one from a list.

When picking from a list, you can choose from:

Advice templates act in the same way as 'Reply not required' manually typed messages - patients cannot reply to them. Whereas individual question, question sets, and questionnaires act in the same way as 'Reply required' manually typed messages.

When you send a message to a patient either from the patient details page or when responding to a patient request, use the Pick message from list button to search for and select a message template.

Search for them using the search box. You can set favourites for easy access by clicking the star icon:

You can visit links and questionnaires before you select them to make sure they're what you want to send by clicking this icon Screenshot_2021-02-11_at_21.17.46.png.

Once you have selected a template from the search it will appear in the 'Selected messages' box on the right. You can delete individual messages or groups, and change the order in which they appear:

 

You can also edit templates by clicking in the box and changing the text.

Once you're happy, click 'Send' - the patient will be sent those messages in order.

 

Completing a request with unanswered 'reply required' messages

If you select the Complete message button where the patient has not answered all the Reply required questions you have asked them (i.e. any question, question sets, or questionnaires), the request will be remain in the Awaiting response inbox. Doing this can be useful if you want to clear your inbox without closing requests. 

If the patient replies, it will go back into the 'Unassigned' inbox in case they reply on a day you are not working.

If the patient doesn't reply to a Reply required message or doesn't read a Reply not required message, they can be sent automatic reminders. This must be set up by your practice Patchs admin.

If the patient continues to not reply to Reply required messages, the request can be manually completed from the 'Awaiting response' inbox. This can be done automatically after a specified number of days if set up by your practice Patchs admin. (The request must be completed from your inbox and only be in the Awaiting response inbox for this to work.)

'Send in body of email / SMS' and 'Send as SMS' options

Send in body of email / SMS

  • If the 'Send in body of email / SMS' box is not ticked the patient will be sent a link to view your message in Patchs. If the patient has a Patchs account, they will need to log in to view the message. If they don't have a Patchs account, they will need to enter their date of birth to view the message. This option is recommended if you are sending sensitive information as it is the most secure. Your practice name will be added by Patchs when the message has been sent and the patient will see your name in the Patchs chatbot - so there's no need to add these yourself.
  • If the 'Send in body of email / SMS' box is ticked your message will be sent as an email and/or SMS. The patient won't need to access Patchs to view your message. This option is recommended if you are not sending sensitive information as it is the least secure. Your practice name will be added by Patchs when the message has been sent - sop there's no need to add this yourself. This option is currently not available for 'Reply required' messages, as patients need to log into Patchs to reply to messages at the moment.

Send as SMS

Patchs messages are sent by email by default to save on SMS costs. If the 'Send as SMS' box is ticked, the message will be sent by SMS. This may be as well as, or instead of, an email message depending on your practice settings.

For more details see 'Send as SMS' behaviour

Included message templates

The following templates are available to all practices. You can also create your own message templates for your practice to use - read about how to create your own message templates here.

Advice templates

Patients cannot reply to advice templates. Examples of advice templates available to all practices include:

  • Back pain exercises
  • Back pain red flags
  • Blood tests results - repeat
  • Brandt-Daroff exercises
  • Failed telephone encounter - close down request
  • Failed telephone encounter - please call practice
  • Failed telephone encounter - try again later
  • Fit (sick) note request
  • Food and symptoms diary 
  • High cholesterol - lifestyle advice
  • Hip pain exercises
  • How to use a nasal spray (video)
  • How to use your inhaler
  • Knee pain exercises
  • Medication request received - 48 hours
  • Medication request received - 72 hours
  • Medication review - book appointment
  • Melasma
  • Neck pain exercises
  • Normal scan results
  • Normal test results
  • Overactive bladder and bladder training
  • Patient Participation Group (PPG) information
  • Peak flow diary
  • Prescription sent
  • Safety net (generic) - 1 week
  • Safety net (generic) - 2 weeks
  • Scan results - book GP appointment
  • Seborrhoeic keratosis
  • Shoulder pain exercises
  • Skin cancer
  • Stye - causes and treatment
  • Test results - book GP appointment
  • Vitamin D deficiency
  • Vitamin D insufficiency

Individual Question templates

Patients can reply once to individual question temples. Examples of individual question templates available to all practices include:

  • Attach photo request
  • Attach photo request - tonsils
  • Attach photo request - skin condition
  • COVID vaccination 1 offer
  • COVID vaccination 2 offer
  • Dentist Re-direction
  • Pharmacy clarification
  • PHQ-9 final question clarification

Question Set templates

Question sets are multiple individual questions asked one after the other. Patients can reply to each question. Examples of question sets available to all practices include:

  • Sore Throat
  • Urinary Tract Infection

Questionnaires

Questionnaires are separate forms with multiple questions and may have scores attached. For certain questionnaires individual answers or scores below or above a certain threshold can mark a request as urgent or emergency. Questionnaires available to all practices include:

  1. Abdominal pain – Female
  2. Abdominal pain – Male
  3. Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (full)
  4. Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (short)
  5. Asthma Control Test
  6. Asthma RCP
  7. AUDIT-C
  8. Full AUDIT
  9. Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)
  10. Back pain (history + red flags)
  11. Blood pressure (BP) - single reading
  12. Blood pressure (BP) - 7 day average
  13. Blood pressure (BP) - 4 day average
  14. Breathlessness - MRC dyspnoea scale
  15. Cancer care review pre-appointment
  16. Combined Oral Contraceptive Pill (COCP) Review

  17. Conjunctivitis – Adult

  18. Conjunctivitis – Baby

  19. COPD review

  20. Cough 
  21. Daytime Sleepiness
  22. Diabetes review pre-appointment
  23. Diarrhoea
  24. Earache - Adult
  25. Earache - Child
  26. Ethnicity
  27. FeverPAIN score 
  28. Flu vaccine invitation (by email)
  29. Flu vaccine invitation (by SMS)
  30. Flu vaccine invitation (by SMS and email)
  31. Fracture risk (gathers data for FRAX tool)
  32. GAD-7
  33. Gastro-oesophageal Reflux (GORD, Indigestion)
  34. GP-PAQ
  35. Headache - Young Person and Adult 

  36. Headache - Child

  37. Height and weight

  38. Height and weight (+ BMI calculation)
  39. Health Assessment for Night Workers
  40. Health check
  41. HRT Review
  42. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Review
  43. IPSS
  44. Knee pain score
  45. Medication Review
  46. Menorrhagia
  47. Oxford hip score
  48. Oxford knee score
  49. Palpitations
  50. Periods - Heavy (Menorrhagia)
  51. PHQ-9
  52. POP Review
  53. Progestogen-Only Pill (POP) Review
  54. QRISK2 (collects data for calculation)
  55. Rash
  56. Smoking Status
  57. Sick/Fit note details
  58. Skin lesion
  59. Shortness of Breath (SoB)
  60. Tired All the Time
  61. Travel
  62. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) - Male
  63. Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) - Female
  64. Vaginal discharge
  65. Vomiting

Was this article helpful?