The Direct Message page on HosPortal allows you to send and track messages to HosPortal users and other people. Your facility can decide if users have access to email, SMS or both.
You can set up common distribution lists, called Communication lists. HosPortal administrators can also set up Communication lists that can be shared with other users, and decide if people can self-subscribe to those lists.
HosPortal also provides a number of standard distribution lists:
User of particular roles, such as 'Registrars' and 'Consultants'
Users who participate in particular rosters, such as 'First on-call'. For these lists, you can decide if the communications will go to all people eligible to do those rosters, or only those people who are listed as being staffed on those rosters on a specific day.
These lists are automatically updated as users are added to and removed from HosPortal, and as they are added to or removed from particular calltypes.
Sending messages
On the Direct message page you can elect to send email or SMS (A). Note that the options are set by your HosPortal administrator and it is common to only allow email messages for many users.
Emails can be formatted and have attachments.
SMS messages can automatically append your contact details.
HosPortal allows you to omit staff on leave (B), and can allow administrators to override users' opt-out preferences. The latter might be for important or urgent clinical messages, and replicates what roster administrators can do by other means.
You can choose your recipients:
Individually or by role, e.g. all Consultants (C)
By participants on a particular roster, or by users rostered on a particular day (D). Note that the 'day' of the roster is set by the start time of the shift.
Using a pre-defined Commmunication list (E). See more details below.
When you are ready to send your message the Send button (F) will show you how many people you have elected to receive the message.
Sending and replying to email messages
Recipients of email messages do not see the other recipients. It is similar to including them on a 'bcc' list using a normal mail application.
Recipients of email messages can reply directly to the recipient by selecting reply in the usual way.
Sending and replying to SMS messages
Recipients see the sender as the facility name or, if that has not been set, the sender might be listed as 'HosPortal'.
Recipients cannot respond directly to SMS messages. Instead you can append reply contact details within the SMS message (H). You can review how the message will appear (I) before you hit send.
Tracking messages
The Track button (G) allows you to see the delivery status of each of the messages you send. You can see the medium (email or SMS), retrieve a copy of the message, see who your messages were sent to, and the delivery status. Some email providers allow us to report whether the message was opened.
Communication lists
A Communication list is a collection of any users who can be contacted by Email or SMS by selecting the list with a single click.
For example, it could be 'cardiac anaesthetists' or 'nurses who want to work on the weekend' or 'people who like baking cakes'.
To create a Communication list, click '+Add' (E).
You can the name your list (J) and determine the recipients (K). If you have administration permissions for messaging, you can also determine the type of list it is (L).
Private means that only you can see and use this list. If you do not have administration permissions then your lists will always be private.
Shared means that this list is visible and useable by all HosPortal users at your site with access to the Direct message page.
For subscription means that all user users can see the list, but they can elect to subscribe or unsubscribe from this list at any time. They can change their subscription settings on the Communication list directly on the Direct message page, or under their Communication subscriptions tab on their site Profile page.
After you've set all the options, press save, and then the list is ready to use.