Standard Conversations on Spruce
Each standard conversation on Spruce contains all of the communication that has occurred between exactly two phone numbers or other communication endpoints, such as email addresses or fax numbers. We will focus on phone-based conversations in this article, as those are the most common type of standard conversation.
For any given pair of phone numbers, all SMS texting and voice calls that occur between the two numbers will be recorded in a single conversation on Spruce. If your patient has two phone numbers (e.g., a cell phone and a home phone), then you will have two standard conversations for that patient: one with each of their phone numbers. This mirrors what the patient sees on their side, so there will be no confusion for either of you. Similarly, if your clinic uses multiple phone numbers on Spruce, each of those numbers will have a separate standard conversation with a single patient phone number. The key thing to remember is that each conversation will always involve exactly two phone numbers.
While you might have multiple standard conversations with a single patient, if either you or the patient are using more than one phone number, all of these conversations will be grouped in one place, under the patient's Contact card. Learn more about Contacts on Spruce.
Inactivated Conversations
Previously, a single standard conversation on Spruce could be used to display the contents of communications between multiple pairs of phone numbers. This did not best reflect the fact that such conversations were truly occurring only between two phone numbers at a time. In response, the present version of Spruce has been improved to display conversations in their true form, as occurring between exactly two phone numbers. As a necessary part of this improvement, certain standard conversations had to be inactivated for further use. Details:
Which conversations have been made inactive?
Conversations on Spruce that previously involved more than two phone numbers have been made Inactive. This was a one-time change, and you will not see it again in the future. If this affected conversations in your organization on Spruce, we have automatically created new conversations for you to use, and these are listed at the bottom of the original inactivated conversation thread. Learn more about this automatic conversation inactivation.
Does conversation inactivation delete or otherwise alter my conversations?
No. An inactivated conversation is simply unable to be continued. The information present in it will be preserved the same as that in your ongoing active conversations.
Does an inactive conversation mean I can't talk to that patient any longer?
No, you can continue to communicate with all of your patients. Simply follow the links at the bottom of an inactive conversation to the new conversation threads with that patient. If you do not see a link to a new conversation, then open the contact card for that patient and start a new conversation with them.
Conversation Inactivation - Example Scenarios
With the updates to the Spruce platform in February of 2022, some standard conversations were inactivated. Here are a few common patient communication scenarios, and how they were affected by this update:
Scenario 1: One Spruce number contacting one patient number
If your organization on Spruce has only one phone number, and you are messaging a patient with only one phone number listed in their Contact, their conversation thread will remain unaffected and will NOT have been inactivated. All calls and text messages will be directed to the same conversation thread that you have always used.
Scenario 2: Multiple Spruce numbers contacting a patient on one number
When sending a new message, you can easily select which Spruce number your message should be sent from. When creating a new conversation, select the drop down menu next to the From section of the conversation thread and choose the Spruce number.
If you have previously contacted your patients using multiple Spruce phone numbers, their conservation will be marked as Inactive. We have created new conversations for each phone number or email address for this contact. Additionally, all of the tags and membership settings that were in the original conversation have been applied to the new conversations.
The original conversation threads have been labeled “Inactive: Name” and you will see the following message:
“This conversation has been closed by the Spruce system, as it involves more than two phone numbers or email addresses. Learn more about this change. You can continue your communication in the following conversations:
- Conversation between Spruce Number A and Patient Number
- Conversation between Spruce Number B and Patient Number
When you select the hyperlink in the message above, it will take you to the new conversations that have been created. All future communication between the specified numbers will now occur in that individual conversation. You will see the message below: “This is a continuation from an older conversation that involved more than two phone numbers or email addresses. This conversation will only contain communication between X and Y and any internal communication between teammates in your practice. Learn more about this change.”
Scenario 3: One Spruce number contacting multiple numbers for the same patient
When sending a new message to a patient with multiple phone numbers you will be able to select which number you would like to receive this message. When you enter the patient’s name in the To section of your message, a drop down menu with all of the patient’s available numbers will be displayed, and you may then select the desired number and begin your message.
If your patient has two phone numbers (i.e., a cell phone and a home phone) then separate conversations will be created for each touchpoint. We have now marked the original conversations Inactive and have created new conversations for each of those phone numbers or email addresses. We’ve also transferred the tags and membership settings that were in the original conversation.
The original conversation threads have been labeled “Inactive: Name” and you will see the following message:
“This conversation has been closed by the Spruce system, as it involves more than two phone numbers or email addresses. Learn more about this change. You can continue your communication in the following conversations:
- Conversation between Spruce Number A and Patient Number
- Conversation between Spruce Number B and Patient Number
When you select the hyperlink in the message above, we will take you to the new conversations that have been created. All future communication between the specified numbers will now occur in that conversation. You will see the message below: “This is a continuation from an older conversation that involved more than two phone numbers or email addresses. This conversation will only contain communication between X and Y and any internal communication between teammates in your practice. Learn more about this change.”