NS - Knowledgebase

These are the questions that arrive by phone, usually to whoever answers, about a screen they may never have used themselves. Answers are written to be read down the line to a patient.

A patient cannot log in

Before resetting anything, offer Get a Magic Login Link on the login page. It emails them a link that signs them in without a password, and it resolves most of these calls in under a minute.

Forgot Password is still there if they would rather set a new one. Check first that they are using the email address you hold for them - a patient logging in with a different address is the second most common cause, and no reset will fix it.

They say the portal does not recognise them

Logging in asks for the email and then Select your date of birth. Both must match your record. If the date of birth on file is wrong, correct it in OfficePro and they will get straight in - the portal is only ever as right as the chart.

How does a patient get an account?

Create an Account on the login page opens Register as a Patient, asking for First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone and Date of Birth, and asking them to accept your Terms and Privacy Policy.

They must register with details matching what you hold, or they end up as a second record rather than getting into their own.

What can they see once they are in?

Patient Portal Home shows whatever your practice has switched on - typically Appointments, Documents, Make a Payment, Ask a Question and Complete Intake Form.

If a patient says something is missing, it is usually not enabled for your practice rather than broken. That is a practice-wide setting, not a per-patient one.

Can they pay their bill online?

Yes, if you have payments enabled. Pay your Account shows their Patient Balance with the Visits making it up, and they can Pay with Card on File or Pay with New Card.

Can they save a card?

Yes - Add a Card on File, and Update Card on File when it expires. A patient whose card keeps declining usually has an expired one saved.

The balance shown does not match what we told them

The portal shows what is currently posted. If you have taken a payment that has not been posted yet, or an insurance remittance has not been applied, the figures will differ until it is. Check the account in OfficePro before telling the patient the portal is wrong.

Can they see their records?

Your Files lists the Documents you have shared with them, searchable and filterable by type. They can also use Upload New Document to send you something - insurance cards and outside results usually.

Uploads land with you, not on their chart automatically. Somebody has to look.

A patient sent a message and heard nothing

Ask a Question lets them choose Who would you like to ask your question to? - a provider, or Front Desk. It arrives in your messages, and it stays there until someone answers.

If nobody owns answering portal messages, turn the feature off. A patient writing into silence is worse than a practice that never offered it.

On their side the reply appears under Message Inbox / Secure Messages, where they can Send Response or Ask another question. Answered threads can be marked complete and are hidden unless they choose Show Completed Messages - which is why a patient may say a message “disappeared”.

Can they fill in their intake beforehand?

Yes - Complete Intake appears on their home page and alongside a future appointment. It is worth asking them to, because an intake done at home is longer and more accurate than one done in the waiting room.

Can they see upcoming appointments?

Future Appointments lists them, with past visits under History. No upcoming appointments found means exactly that - it is not an error.

Can they order products?

If you have that enabled, yes, including the Full Script Dispensary where you use Fullscript. Subscription and refill questions are covered in the auto-order articles.

Is the portal secure enough for medical information?

It is the same service that holds their record, they sign in to reach it, and messages are handled as secure messages rather than ordinary email. That is the honest answer, and it is usually what the question is really asking.

They are asking about booking online

Different article - see the online scheduling questions, which cover links, availability and which appointment types can be booked.