You can disable (or enable) a patient's ability to send secure messages or request appointments via the Patient Portal on a patient-by-patient basis. To view and change a patient's individual secure message/ appointment request settings:
1. Expand the Patient Information block by clicking on the pencil icon:
2. Go to the Patient Portal tab. If the patient is not already authorized to access the Portal, you will need to enable portal access first. There should be a "Portal Permissions" section with checkboxes to control the patient's ability to send messages or request appointments.
These checkboxes will be checked by default (the patient's ability to perform these actions is enabled). To disable either of these, uncheck the box and then click the "+ Save Changes" button.
What are the Effects of Disabling Secure Messaging for a Patient?
If a patient's secure messaging has been disabled, you will still be able to send them messages but they will not be able to respond. The Secure Messages tab of the portal will show the patient's message history but hide any buttons to send a message:
If a patient has secure messaging disabled and you go to send them a secure message from the EMR, you will see a warning at the top of the message:
What are the Effects of Disabling Portal Appointment Requests for a Patient?
If a patient's ability to schedule appointments has been disabled, they will see the following from the "Request Appointment" tab of the Patient Portal:
