Chat

Overview

Welkin's Chat feature enables real-time text-based communication between care team members and patients through a secure, HIPAA-compliant messaging interface embedded in the Care Portal.

Accessing Chat

Navigate to Communication Center → Chat in the Care Portal to view and respond to chat conversations.

Starting a Chat

To initiate a chat with a patient:

1. Open the patient profile or go to the Communication Center
2. Click + New Chat or the Chat icon
3. Select the patient
4. Type your message and press Send

The patient receives the chat message through their patient portal or a configured messaging channel.

Chat Conversations

Each chat conversation is threaded by patient. All messages – sent and received – appear in chronological order within the conversation view. Unread messages are highlighted with a badge.

Responding to Patient Chat

When a patient sends a chat message:

1. A notification appears in your Communication Center (and as a bell notification)
2. Click on the conversation to open it
3. Type your reply and send

Chat Availability and Hours

If your organization has configured business hours for chat, messages received outside of those hours may receive an automated reply indicating when a care team member will respond.

Chat Configuration

Chat requires configuration in both Designer and the Admin Portal:

• The chat webhook URL, API key, and secret must be entered in Admin → Integrations → Communications
• Chat must be activated in Admin for the channel to appear in the Care Portal

See How to Turn On Communication Methods for setup details.