Messages & Email

The Messages and Email pages put every patient text message and email in one place. Elva drafts replies, handles routine questions on her own, and keeps the full patient picture on the right so your team can answer fast and accurately. This article covers both pages, which work the same way.

How both pages are laid out

Each page has three parts:

• Inbox (left) — the list of conversations or messages.
• Conversation (middle) — the thread you’re reading or replying to.
• Patient panel (right) — context on the patient, suggested replies, and what Elva has done.

Messages (text / SMS)

Messages is your two-way SMS inbox. Elva can auto-reply to routine texts, and your team steps in whenever a conversation needs a person.

Finding conversations

At the top of the inbox, filter by:

• All — every conversation.
• Unread — conversations with unread messages.
• Needs me — conversations Elva has paused or that aren’t being auto-handled, so a person should reply.

Each conversation shows a health label so you can see how it’s going at a glance: On track, Watch, At risk, or Idle.

How to reply to a text

1. On Messages, open the conversation from the inbox.
2. If Elva is handling it, click Take over to type your own reply.
3. Write your message and send. Once you take over, you’re in control of the thread.

How to start a new text

1. On Messages, click New message.
2. Choose the patient and write your text.
3. Send. The conversation appears in the inbox like any other.

How to send a broadcast

1. On Messages, click Broadcast.
2. Follow the prompts to send one text to many patients at once. Each recipient lands in their own thread, so replies come back individually.

The patient panel

On the right you’ll find everything you need to answer well:

• The patient card with their status (for example Active, New patient, or Inactive), next appointment, last visit, balance, and Insurance.
• Topics — what the conversation is about (for example Reschedule, Confirmation, Booking, Insurance, Pricing, or Emergency).
• Chart note draft — a note Elva prepares from the conversation; use Copy or Regenerate.
• Consent — whether the patient has agreed to SMS and Email contact.
• History — past communications across every channel.
• A Triage Inbox item link if the conversation has been escalated to a person.

Email

Email is your shared patient inbox. Elva reads incoming email, drafts replies, and holds anything she’s unsure about for your review.

Mailboxes and filters

Switch mailboxes between Inbox, Drafts, and Sent. Within a mailbox, filter by:

• All — everything in the mailbox.
• Unread — unread email.
• Starred — email you’ve starred.
• Needs me — email where Elva has held a draft for you to review and send.

Each email carries an Elva status — Draft held, Replied, or Needs reply — and tags that classify it, such as Emergency, Complaint, Booking, Insurance, Billing, New inquiry, Referral, or Spam. Folders such as Billing, Referrals, Insurance claims, and Vendors help keep things organized.

How to reply to an email

1. On Email, open the message from the inbox.
2. Open the Actions tab in the right panel and review the Suggested replies — each shows its risk (for example Low risk or Medium risk).
3. Click Run to use a suggested reply, or Skip to dismiss it and write your own.
4. Edit the text as needed and send.

How to write a new email

1. On Email, click Compose.
2. Fill in the recipient and write your message.
3. Send. You can minimize the composer to keep working and come back to it.

The right panel

The right panel has three tabs:

• Actions — suggested replies, a Chart note draft (with Push to PMS and Copy), Consent, and any attachments. If the email is linked to a Triage Inbox item, you’ll see it here.
• Patient — the patient’s status, next appointment, Insurance, and any alerts.
• History — the patient’s full communication history across channels.