Accurx Desktop: How to attach a document to a text message or email

Learn how you can send a document to a patient using Accurx

John F avatar
Written by John F
Updated over a week ago


​This article talks about a feature of our Accurx Desktop toolbar.
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We have developed a feature that allows healthcare staff to send files or documents (such as sick notes/Med3, referral letters, imaging request forms, blood forms, leaflets etc.) via SMS to patients using the Accurx toolbar.

1. To use this new feature, you simply click on the paperclip icon right underneath the message text box (screenshot below).

If you can't see this feature, please follow these instructions.

2 Once clicked, it will launch the Windows file picker where you can select a file to attach (file formats supported: pdf, docx, doc, rtf, jpeg, jpg, png, tiff, tiff2, tif.)

3 This will populate the bottom of the text with the attachment

4 Once sent, what the patient receives is an SMS to their mobile phone with a link. When they click on the link, they will be asked to input their date of birth as identity verification, before being able to access the document.

The document is accessible for 28 days. The patient will need to save the document onto their phone/PC in order to keep a copy for their records.

If you have any questions or feedback about this feature, please contact us using the Intercom Messenger on our website
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A video demo here of how to send documents or advice:

FAQs

1. Can I attach a document to a template?

  • Yes you can! This article here runs through how to create your own templates, including adding documents to the template.

2. What is the max size of an individual file that can be uploaded?

  • 3MB

3. How can I resize an attachment?

  • Remove any unnecessary images in the document

  • If you need to keep the images within a file, this article can help Reduce the file size of a picture in Microsoft Office

  • If you are using Microsoft Word, save using .docx wherever possible as this is usually smaller than .doc

  • If you are exporting a document to PDF, you should have the option to optimize the file size. Choose lower-quality images for a smaller file size.

4. How long is it available for (before no longer downloadable)?

  • The document is accessible for 28 days. The patient's text explains this.

5. Can it be downloaded multiple times, or only once?

  • Multiple times (no restriction)

6. How long does Accurx host the file, before it is deleted (data retention)?

  • Right now we're not doing any automatic deletion - given the quick launch to enable this as part of the COVID-19 response. However, by definition, all stored documents are only a few days old and we can manually delete anything should an explicit need come up.

7. Where are the documents stored once sent?

  • The files are being stored within Microsoft Azure blob storage which complies with the NHS information governance regulations. The storage itself is only reachable through authenticated connections from within our service - sent links are not direct to storage but rather through our web portal, which requires the patient to supply their date of birth, and is encrypted at rest (see here.)

Use of this service is covered by our Data Processing Agreement which can be found here. As with all of our products, it is fully GDPR compliant.

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