With Secure Chat in Epic you can chat one-on-one or in groups for non-urgent communications. Since Secure Chat’s successful launch on May 8, more than 135,000 text messages have been exchanged. These messages can cover a range of non-urgent topics, including:
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A request for pharmacist-provided patient education.
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Dialogue between nurses on a patient’s fall risk or restraint concern.
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Coordinating a time with Physical Therapy for a patient who has multiple diagnostic tests scheduled.
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Advising night shift clinicians about a patient turn schedule.
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Discussing patient discharge plans and DME needs with case management.
Secure Chat should not be used for urgent patient concerns. Do not use Secure Chat to request rush or timely orders, provide urgent lab results or share critical vitals. Doing so may present a patient safety risk.
To reach the on-call or covering physician for urgent patient issues:
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Contact on-call providers through their answering services or after-hours contacts.
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Where available, use PerfectServe to identify and reach the on-call provider.
Important reminders:
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Physicians may miss your messages if they don’t have Epic Haiku or Canto on their mobile devices. They will only receive messages on their desktop computers.
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Your message may not be received in a timely manner if the provider’s status is showing as Unavailable.
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Incoming messages are not monitored by an administrator or group, which could result in a delayed response.
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Non-physician staff can only access messages when logged in Epic.
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Remember to set your Availability Status – especially if you’re not available.
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Be sure to turn on your notifications if using a mobile device.
For other tips on using Secure Chat, please visit the IT website at it.houstomethodist.org/securechat .
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