Starting a Group Chat

You can create a group chat to start a conversation with one or more participants. You can specify a text context or a patient context for this group chat.

  1. In the panel that displays the list of conversations, click the New icon.
  2. From the pop-up menu that appears, select New Group Chat.

    The Start A Group Chat panel appears.

    This screen displays a link to your department and links to any favorites that you have specified. If your department is not visible, the Client disable staff departments security policy item is in effect. See Security Policies for more information on security policies and security policy items.

    From this panel, shortcuts are defined when you right-click a group, a department or a person that may allow you to send a message or update your favorites list.

    • If you right-click a group, you can select Message Group to send a message to the entire group. If the group is not a favorite, select Make Favorite to make this group a favorite. If the group already is a favorite, select Remove Favorite to remove the group from your favorites list.
    • If you right-click a department, you can select Message Department to send a message to the entire department.
    • If you right-click a person's name, and the person is not a favorite, select Make Favorite to make this person a favorite. If this person is a favorite, select Remove Favorite to remove the person from your favorites list.
  3. To define a context for this group chat, do one of the following:
    • In the Add Context field, type the context that you want to use.

      Press Enter to save this context. This is useful if you want to define a subject for your new group chat.

    • To specify a patient that this conversation is to be about, click Patient. The Start a Group Chat panel changes color to indicate that the conversation now has a patient context. Patients that are assigned to you are displayed.

      This option is not available if the Controls access to patient details security policy item is set to restricted. See Security Policies for more information on security policies and security policy items.

      Do one of the following to select the patient for this conversation.

      In the Search field, type two or more letters or numbers to display a list of all patients whose name or location matches the text that you have typed. In this list, click a patient name to specify this patient as the context.

      Click the name of your department to list all patients belonging to members of the department. In this list, click a patient name to specify this patient as the context..

      Click a patient name to specify this patient as the context.

      After you have selected your patient, click Staff to select the persons with which you want to have the group chat.

      Note: From this screen, you can start a group chat with the members of the care team for the patient that you have selected. See Starting a Care Team Chat for more details.
  4. Do any or all of the following:
    • Click the names of one or more favorites to add them as chat participants.

    • Click the name of your department if it is visible. From the list of department members that appears, click the name of one or more members to add them as chat participants.

    • In the Search field, type all or part of the name of a person or group. A list of search text matches appears. In this list:

      • Click the names of one or more people to add them as chat participants.
      • Click the name of a group to display a list of its members, and then click the names of one or more group members to add them as chat participants. If the group contains subgroups, click a subgroup name to display its members.
  5. Click Start Chat to start the group chat.

The Vina Web creates a chat room that your selected participants have been invited to join.