Write Messages and Start Conversations in Patient Portal

Depending on your organization and type of account, your patient portal may include the ability to send messages to your providers. Remember to allow up to three business days for a response. Do not use messaging for urgent matters. Call 911 if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

If your organization's Patient Portal has an inbox, complete the following steps to write and send messages to your provider or care team:
  1. From the Today dashboard, in the Actions section, select Start a New Message. Alternatively, select Open Messages Messages at the top of any page to display your inbox, and then select New Message (+), or similarly named button.
  2. From the Message list, select the type of message, for example, General Message.
  3. In the To box, select or type your recipient's name. A recipient list of relevant names is displayed based on the type of message you selected. This list includes only the providers you can send messages to.

    Note:

    If you don't see the provider listed that you are trying to contact, call the provider's office. You will need to establish a relationship with the provider before you can message them.
  4. Optionally, enter a subject for the message.
  5. Optionally, switch the Confidentiality toggle button to On to make this message confidential. Confidential messages cannot be seen by authorized representatives (proxy users). See Confidentiality and Sensitive Health Record Details in Patient Portal to learn more about confidentiality.
  6. Enter the message in the Message box. Optionally, use the toolbar to format your text as you type. The following options might be available to you:
  7. Optionally, select Add AttachmentAttachment to add an attachment.
  8. Select Send. The completed message is displayed.

    Note:

    To save a draft, close the message draft without sending it. You can view drafts in the Drafts folder by selecting Drafts from the drop-down list on the Inbox page.
You can reply to any message by opening the conversation, entering a response, and selecting Send.
You can select EditEdit at the top of an open conversation to edit its details (subject, recipient, and so on).