Custom Chat Types
When a patient starts a new conversation from the SigmaMD Patient App, the first step is choosing the reason for the chat. By default, SigmaMD includes a “General” option, but you can now add your custom chat types to better organize your inbox and tailor the experience to your practice. Each type you create will:
- Appear as an option for the patient when starting a new chat in their app.
- Automatically become the chat title when it is created.
Some examples might include:
- Medication Refill
- Billing Question
- Medical Concern
- Follow-Up Request
Creating a Chat Type
To add a new chat type:
- Go to Practice Settings and select the Communication section.
- Use the Add chat type button to open the form.
- Enter a name (up to 30 characters).
- Choose who will be assigned to new chats from this type (more details below).
Click Save and your new type will appear in the patient app.
Assigning Clinicians
If you want a chat type to be handled by specific team members, assign them in the creation form. When patients select this type, the chat will be automatically assigned to the designated person.
When creating a chat type, you'll see a pairing list where on the right you can select who will be responsible for new chats of patients assigned to the team member on the left.
As an example, in the image above, all new chats created by patients assigned to John Smith will be assigned to Jane Doe. This means Jane will receive a notification for these chats, and they will be in her inbox, while John will not be notified. Later, the chat can be reassigned, or John can be added as a follower.
Editing or Deleting a Chat Type
You can update a chat type at any time using the edit option, and you may also delete a type if it’s no longer needed. The General type cannot be deleted or renamed.
