Professional-initiated non-urgent messaging creates continuity and safety in client work

The digital service platform Lunna offers different ways to contact the services in the Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County. The most familiar channels are the chat and the non-urgent messaging service. In addition to these, some services have also introduced professional-initiated messaging, enhancing continuity and safety in communication.

Unlike in the chat or non-urgent messaging, in this communication channel the discussion is started by a social welfare and healthcare professional, such as a social worker, nurse or counsellor. The professional will contact the client when necessary.

Professional-initiated messaging can function differently depending on the service at hand and the client’s needs. In some cases, the discussion thread remains open for as long as the person is a client of the service. The client can return to the thread any time it suits them. Through this messaging service, professionals can provide instructions, request documents, make assessments of the client’s service needs and follow up the client’s situation. For instance, if a professional only needs to send their client some documents, they can close the discussion thread immediately after sending the documents.

Communication is secure, and the channel can replace phone calls and secure email. According to our service promise, we send clients a reply to their messages within three weekdays, and therefore, we encourage our clients to do the same.

A professional can initiate a discussion for a client who has already logged in to Lunna or signed up as a user. The client receives a notification of the arrival of the message sent by the professional in Lunna or by email. The first time, a text message notification is sent, too.

“During the first two weeks, 250 discussions were initiated in adult social services. Experience is constantly growing. The aim of professional-initiated messaging is to transfer discussions conducted by email or in other channels to our secure platform Lunna. By reducing the use of secure email, an especially cumbersome and time-consuming communication channel for employees, we can free up more time for immediate client work. The new channel simplifies and facilitates communication between the client, and we can free up more time for immediate client work”, explains Tapio Nieminen, Service Line Director for Adult Social Services.

Professional-initiated non-urgent messaging is already in use in several of our services. At the end of September, it was introduced in Adult Social Services and Disability Services. The channel has previously proved to work, for example, in outpatient care, oral health services, Senior Info and maternity and child health clinic services.

For example, in family counseling and children's mental health services, clients have found that a non-urgent message from a professional is helpful for reminding and suggesting appointments. In family social work, messages have made it easy to send decisions and client plans. Communication has also proven effective when the phone is not a suitable channel.

Professional-initiated non-urgent messaging enhances continuity in care, because the client is in direct contact with the professional in charge of their care.

– The expansion of using professional-initiated messaging is still slow, as not all clients have downloaded Lunna, and in student welfare services, identifying minors is not always successful. The transition phase is therefore still ongoing, says Project Manager Kaius Karlsson from services for children, youth, and families.

Get in touch easily whenever you need help. Download the Lunna app or use Lunna online at lunna.fi

Read more about Lunna.