Automatically Add Selected Coaches to All Message Threads (Released Tuesday, February 2, 2021)

Beginning Tuesday, February 2, 2021, clinics may choose to have select coaches within a clinic added automatically to all message threads.  This feature is useful to automatically grant specific coaches access to all messages from patients within a clinic.

About the Feature

A message thread is created between a specific set of users, which is most typically a single coach and a single patient.  Only the participants within that message thread have access to view and send those messages.  However, based on a clinic's internal functioning and practices, there may be a need to grant select coaches access to all message threads within a clinic.  The new feature to Automatically Add Selected Coaches to All Message Threads in a Clinic will do just that.

Feature Details

As this feature impacts patient messaging, it is important to understand the details of how this feature works:

• Selected coaches will be added automatically to messages
  When the feature is enabled for a clinic, specific coaches may be selected at any time in the feature's settings.  When a new thread is created by a patient or coach within the clinic, after the message is sent, the selected coach(es) will be automatically added to the message thread.
• Both existing and yet-to-be-created message threads are impacted
  Once the feature is enabled for a clinic and a coach(es) has been added, all existing message threads at and below that clinic will be impacted.  In addition, anytime a message thread is created in the future, the selected coaches will also be automatically added to those threads as well.
  
• Only message threads with at least one patient are affected
  Message threads must contain at least one patient for the coaches to be automatically added.  Messages that include only coaches will not be impacted.
• Notifications will be received for all messages
  Once a coach is added to a message thread automatically, they become a full participant.  As such, they will receive the standard email notification for new unread messages when one is created in that thread by any other user.
• A message will be created to denote a change in thread participants
  Any time the thread participants change, an automated system message will be added to the thread as notice of which users entered or left:
  
  
• Coaches are not removed if the feature is disabled
  Once coaches are automatically added to a message thread, they become full message participants.  If the feature is disabled for a clinic, the existing message threads will not be adjusted, and any automatically-added coach will retain access.  However, any new message thread or coach created after that point will not be impacted.

How to Use the Feature

The feature is enabled at the clinic level, and will automatically impact all message threads once enabled and coach(es) added.  For large and multi-tier clinics, enabling the feature at a parent clinic will also include threads within child clinics.

You may view if the feature is enabled for your clinic on the dashboard by viewing Accounts->Clinics->{Selected Clinic}->Settings.  On the Settings tab, find the Automatically add selected coaches to all message threads in this clinic setting.  Toggle the Enabled switch to activate or deactivate the feature.  Administrative permission is required for the clinic to adjust any of these settings.

Once enabled, you now have the ability to add or remove coaches from the listing.  Only coaches in the listing will be automatically added to message threads.

• Adding a Coach
  To add a coach to the setting, click the Add Coach button.  A modal will be displayed, where a single coach can be searched for (by name or email), selected, and then added.  Once the coach is added, their information (id, first name, last name, added on date) will be displayed in the table on the settings page.
  
• Removing a Coach
  To remove a coach from the setting, click the trash icon next to their name.  When clicked, a prompt will be displayed to confirm their removal
  
• Disabling the feature
  If the feature is disabled, all coaches that are currently listed in that preference will be deactivated.  Once the feature is toggled back on, it will always begin with blank listing and not include any coaches.