Share short, plain-English updates from progress notes and goal progress with families, either automatically or one at a time. Families read them in the app.
Before you begin
- The portal user has the Shared notes area (and Goals for goal progress).
- A contact on the record who has consented to receive information.
- A role that can manage family updates (
network.family_updates.manage).
Set up automatic updates
The family portal is a paid add-on and is still marked as a preview in CompanionAxis. The steps below are what the product does today; check with your account manager that it is switched on for you.
- Go to People → Connected care network and open the Family updates tab.
- Under Automatic family updates, choose the participant.
- Tick the kinds of update to send, such as Shift confirmation, Goal progress, Shared note, Budget summary or Photo.
- Choose how often for each: Day before, Weekly, Fortnightly, Monthly, Per note or Per photo. Each change saves straight away.
Connected care network, Family updates tab with Automatic family updates for one person and Send an update now
Send one update now
- In Send an update now, choose the kind of update.
- Write the message.
- Tick the contacts who should receive it. Only contacts who consented to receive information are listed.
- Select Send update.
Share a summary of progress notes
- Open a progress note from Care → Progress notes.
- In the summary card for the person and their nominees and guardians, select Generate last 7 days.
- Read and edit the summary, then select Approve.
- Select Share, choose Send by (Email, SMS, Portal or Print), tick the contacts and select Share.
Write the summary for the family: plain words, no clinical shorthand, nothing they haven’t been agreed to see.
What families see
- The app’s Updates tab lists each shared update and weekly summary, newest first, with any photos.
- The Goals tab shows each goal with its status, the person’s own words and the next review date.
- Home shows the Latest update.
Family app Updates tab with a weekly summary and a goal progress update
Tips
- Everything sent is listed on the Family updates tab, so you can see what each family has received.
- Updates only reach people the participant agreed to share with. See Choosing what each portal user can see.
If something goes wrong
“No contacts have consented to receive information.”
Record the contact’s consent on the participant’s record first, then come back.
Send update is disabled
Write a message and tick at least one contact.
A family member can’t see updates in the app
They need the Shared notes area. Check their invited areas and What family can see.