Communication Center Mailbox replacing current Chart Communication app

Today it was stated that since Chart Communication is a legacy application it likely won't have any enhancements made to it. Comm Center Mailbox will likely replace Chart Communication. Although I believe this is a step in the right direction, I want to make sure it is well thought out so here is some feedback:

1. Current Mailbox is outside of a patient's chart and although the conversation can be saved to a patient record, there is risk that at the point it is saved the conversation may continue and the entire conversation is not saved. I would like to see design so that if a conversation is started outside of a patient chart there is no way to save it to the patient chart thus necessitating that a message that should be in a patient chart is started within a patient chart. or alternatively, some other means that when a mailbox message is started it is immediately tied to a patient thus saving it in the patient chart and making it accessible from the patient chart should the patient call or otherwise make contact anywhere in our system. I know you can select a patient and attach from a patient when composing new mail but it doesn't save the message to the patient chart. We require everyone to review open communications as they may contain information of messages left for a patient that need relayed at the next possible encounter with the patient.

2. A patient specific message needs to be able to be routed to staff assigned to groups assigned to providers so that we can get away from department notifications and route messages to staff working roles for individual providers or groups of providers. Triage staff should be sent some messages that need clinical input yet other messages about scheduling may go to a different group and referral request to yet a different group. all based on a role that a person is working that day. Tomorrow they may be working a different role. Our staff do travel that much and work different or multiple roles.

3. There should be a PDC card for messages open/incomplete that are unique to a patient in their chart similar to chart communications that can be referenced during a visit or patient contact and completed by anyone.

4. I feel there needs to be work on the address book in Communication Center. We now have 6 faxage # and already we identify that each fax # would benefit from their own address book since they are distinctly unique in many ways on who they fax to. Since Mailbox is all internal, I would like to see the ability to carve out entries that are made strictly for faxing from what display when I look up to create a new message. We are also just beginning to start secure texting so I'm not sure how that is going to muddy the address book . We already have duplicates and need to do a clean up. What security behaviors exist around the address book? How can any CPSI representatives that are in the address book be hidden? If users are set up for interface purposes, can they be marked not to show in the address book? Can test MD and users be set not to show in the address book unless we choose to have them show?

5. Can there be a discussion about saving messages at a profile level vs a visit level. I was actually signed in to our clinic facility but attached a hospital note and sent it to the PCP. But when I went to attach the communication to an encounter it is only showing me clinic encounter when in reality I felt like this could go to either a clinic or hospital encounter but most definitely needs to show at the patient level in either facility. When patients call they don't always call associated with a specific encounter but with general questions. We always pick the most recent visit because that is what we have to do. It would be nice to progress to placing the message on the patient as a whole.

6. When attaching as designed today to an encounter, the Subject line becomes the Document Name, the Document type defaults to Healthcare Communication Document but we have to create and select a Document Category. Can this be reviewed and assessed? Is a document category truly necessary vs a general default category to save us clicks and time? Then it shows in clinical history as a scanned image. How about a new filter for Healthcare Communication Documents so the provider can filter on or off - Messages. In some patients these can be numerous and truly eat up the clinical history app so hiding them would be a blessing. If the provider has them filtered on then it would be nice if incomplete/unanswered ones would display in a different color or with an indicator so the provider could address them or at least be aware of them.

I'm sure there will be more but this is what we have for now. Thank you!