Secure Messaging - Overview

Zencare Practice Management's Secure Messaging tool provides clinics with a secure, PHI-compliant method of two-way communication within the application. Secure Messaging can be used to have chat style communication with clients, or internally to have chat style communication with colleagues and staff members.

It is important to keep in mind that the intention of this feature is not to be a total email replacement. Clinics and clients can continue to use their existing email services to send communications to one another; Zencare Practice Management is simply providing an additional, more secure, means of communication.

Secure Messaging can be enabled for the practice or disabled should the practice decide not to use it. Only clinics that have Zencare's Client Portal for Online Booking and Intake & Consent Forms are able to use Secure Messaging with their clients. If the practice has not yet upgraded to the Client Portal, the practice will only be able to use Secure Messaging internally with staff.

Setting Up Secure Messaging

Secure Messaging is enabled by default in your account. To disable Secure Messaging, go to Settings, then Secure Messaging and change the status to Disabled.

If you have the Client Portal add-on and Secure Messaging is enabled for your account, you will also need to ensure your Therapist Profile has Client Portal enabled (Settings > Therapists). Once this is set, clients who have created portal accounts will see a tab called Messaging.

Secure Messaging does allow for instant messaging style chatting. If both parties are online at the same time and chatting, messages can be sent and received instantaneously.

To edit the text that appears here, go to Settings, then Secure Messaging and type your preferred copy into the Informative Banner field.

Benefits of Secure Messaging

Zencare Practice Management's Secure Messaging tool provides clinics with a secure, PHI-compliant method of two-way communication within the application.

Key Benefits:

• PHI-compliant communication — All messages are stored securely within Zencare.
• Two-way communication — Both therapists and clients can initiate and respond to conversations.
• Internal messaging — Staff can communicate securely with one another within the practice.
• Instant messaging capability — If both parties are online simultaneously, messages can be sent and received in real time.
• Client Portal integration — Clients access messaging directly through the secure Client Portal.
• Notification emails — Both parties receive email notifications when new messages arrive.
• File attachments — Share documents, worksheets, and other files directly in the conversation.
• Text formatting — Messages support basic formatting options and emoji.
• Message filtering — Easily search and filter conversations.

Navigating the Secure Messaging Section

You can access all of your ongoing conversations at any time by logging into Zencare Practice Management and selecting the Messaging section.

1. New Secure Conversation Button - Selecting this will prompt you to choose a Chat Type and start a conversation.

2. Conversation Summary - All of the conversations that you are part of as a user will appear in the sidebar here. Note that, you will only be able to see the conversations that you are participating in.
3. Participant OR Group Name - If the conversation is only between yourself and one person, the name of the person you're chatting with will be listed here. If the conversation has multiple participants it is considered a Group Chat and will have been assigned a Group Name by the person who originally initiated the conversation. In that case the conversation is listed here by the Group Name.
4. Text Typing Field - This is where you type all of your messages before you send them. Users can expand the Text Typing Field within secure messages to preview a longer message. There are no character limits for secure messages - we put you in control of how you use secure messages with clients and within your practice.
5. Chat Actions - Here, you can View Participants, Attach Files, insert Emojis, or Download a copy of the chat history.
6. New Messages Alert - This is a new icon that will notify you of any newly received messages even when you're not in the Messaging view. 
7. Open/Close Side Bar - You can close and open the side bar here to make extra room for the chat view.
8. Archive Conversation - Selecting this button will open the Archive. ZPM will always retain all of the conversations you participate in, but if you ever find your list of ongoing conversations is getting too long to manage or some of the conversations have been completed, you can archive them. You can then select each conversation you wish to archive. When you're done, simply select Done Archiving to return the listing to the default view.

9. Message Filtering - This option allows you to filter through conversations so you can more easily find the one you are looking for.