Frequently Asked Questions

Why must I mark every incoming patient message as replied?
To ensure no patient conversation falls through the cracks, every incoming message should either receive a reply, be marked as replied, or have the conversation closed. You can mark a message as replied even without replying in the thread - for example, if no response is needed or you already spoke with the patient over the phone.
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Why do we need a Needs Reply status? I used to rely only on Unread messages.
This came directly from office feedback: most practices told us conversations were being missed because someone read a message but never replied—often because they didn’t have the information at that moment. Once a message is read, it disappears from the Unread filter, and the conversation silently falls through the cracks. Needs Reply closes that gap: it lets you consciously review each message, quickly see conversations that still need a response even if they were read earlier, and deliberately mark a conversation as replied only when it’s actually done. It’s the biggest workflow change in the new Comm Center—and it exists so that “I saw it” is never confused with “I handled it.”
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Why is my Needs Reply count so high (99+)?
The count reflects open conversations containing patient messages that haven't received a response yet. If conversations are left open without a reply (or without being marked as replied), they accumulate in the count.
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I have so many open conversations - how do I manage them if my staff doesn't close conversations?
Set up Automation & Closure Rules (via the gear icon) to automatically close conversations that have no activity or don't need a response. This keeps the inbox focused on active conversations without relying on manual cleanup.
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I sometimes miss responding to conversations - what can I do?
Pin important conversations to keep them at the top of your inbox so they stay visible until you've handled them.
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What's the difference between Unread and Needs Reply?
Unread = no one at the practice has viewed the message yet; Needs Reply = the thread is awaiting a response from the practice.
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Why is there a confirmation step when closing a conversation?
Close is now a hover action, so the confirmation prevents accidental closure.