FAQ
Applicable to All Users
The system won't allow access / I forgot my password. How do I reset it?
If you are on the initial login screen, click or tap "Can't log in to your account?"
If you have already entered your email address and clicked "Continue", click or tap "Forgot Password" to proceed
From the "Forgot Your Password" screen, enter your email address and click or tap "Continue". You will then be presented with a screen that informs you to check your email. If you entered the correct email address, an email will arrive with further instructions.
I have been locked out of Photon, how do I regain access?
You may be locked out of the Photon system for
Too many failed login attempts.
A Photon System Administrator has removed your access.
Suspicious activity, such as attempting to log in from foreign locations
To regain access, you will need to contact your Photon System Administrator.
When I log into Photon, will my patient list be pre-populated?
Photon has a mechanism to auto-populate lists from the EMR. It relies on your association to a patient via orders made yourself, and you being listed as an associated provider (admitting, attending, consulting, or primary care).
The availability of this feature is system dependent, and to get this working will require you to make a request with your Photon System Administrator.
Any messages you receive from other providers inside a patient chart will automatically add that patient to your list.
When can I find a patient in Photon?
Within seconds of the patient being registered in the hospital ADT system they will be available in Photon. Our search allows you to find the patient by their name, MRN, or Account Number. Names use fuzzy logic in case you mistype or have trouble with the name's spelling.
How will I know when my patient information is ready to review?
Photon allows you to sign up for alerts for specific patient information. This includes results for Labs you have ordered and Radiology studies and reports that you have ordered. This setting is off by default to prevent notification fatigue. You can set this setting on your mobile device by
Tap into a patient from the list
Tap on the last tab on the upper right of the screen, the one with the gear icon.
Tap the "Notifications" option
Tap any of the rows for the notification you wish to receive.
I can't see my patients... why?
If you're unable to locate:
Any of your patients - you may have been removed from your hospital’s Photon network. Contact your Photon System Administrator(s) to inquire further.
Some of your patients - if you are an End User at multiple Photon-enabled facilities, determine which hospital’s patients are not populating and contact the appropriate Photon System Administrator(s) – you may have been removed from that facility’s Photon network.
How do I know which providers are currently using Photon?
Type the desired recipient’s name into the “To:” field (mobile) or “Search” field (web) while creating a new message. If s/he does not populate below, that provider is not yet on Photon.
How do I know if a provider received my Photon?
After a message is sent, a time/date stamp appears below your text: Ex. “Sent – 10/8 11:07 AM.” Once the recipient has opened your message, the time/date stamp will display: Ex. “Read – 10/8 11:16 AM.”
All messages sent and received become part of the Photon patient chart, which is provided to the hospital in a PDF post-discharge.
On the web, if you click a message a popup will appear showing all the read receipts with date and time stamps. You can reach this same screen on mobile via a long press.
What if I don't hear the Photon chime?
A user may customize these alerts to particular notification types (robocall or push) and sounds, such as assigning a robocall to any 5-minute interval, or changing the push notification to a truck horn, ambulance siren, etc. – see Customize Notifications in the in-app Help Section.
All first messages in a new patient thread are marked as "urgent" and, until opened, will default to the following cycle:
An audible push notification will be administered
At message creation
After both 5 and 10 minutes
A robocall will be administered after 15 minutes
This cycle will repeat once (30 minutes total)
How long is patient information available?
Photon defaults to a 90-day period, but this may differ depending upon your organization’s policies.
Inpatient - once added, patients will remain on your list through inpatient status for up to 96-hours post-discharge. If necessary, they may be deleted prior to timeframe completion.
Discharged Patient - when added, post-discharge patients will remain on your list for 96-hours. All patient data may be viewed up to 90-days post-discharge, however additional user-generated information (messages/photos/videos) cannot be added past encounter completion.
A conversation gives me the full picture... does Photon deprive me of that option?
In many cases, clinical communication no longer requires synchronous conversation, as the patient chart is shared along with your Photon. However, when a phone call is necessary, you may choose to:
Initiate phone communication via Photon - this option allows for synchronous conversation in conjunction with the benefits of a sent Photon. Call initiation and receipt are documented as a new message thread, and the patient is automatically added to your Photon list.
Reply via phone call to a Photon message - within any message thread, a simple tap of the Phone icon in the top right corner will provide a direct connection to the selected individual involved in the conversation.
I predominantly see outpatients... how will Photon be useful to me?
Preparation - view real-time data to check patient status
Notification - receive real-time audible alerts to new patient information
Communication - securely share/discuss patient information amongst care team during patient encounter
Follow-Up - add a patient post-discharge to provide a historical view of the patient encounter anytime, from anywhere
My shift has ended but I'm still receiving messages from the provider(s), how do I reduce this?
You will need to “Hand Off & Remove” all of your patients at shift change, i.e. placing these patients on to the new nurse’s Photon list while removing them from yours. Once patient handoff occurs, your specific provider conversation is automatically passed to the nurse who has taken over.
For example:
Nurse 1: "May the patient have pain medication?" – shift change occurs
Physician: "Yes, provide __________." – this message automatically sent to Nurse 2
Providers are instructed to continue communication in the same message thread. If you do not “Hand Off & Remove” each patient at shift change, provider communication is likely to continue.
Should I always respond right away to a Photon message?
Use your best judgement – to avoid abusing the ease of asynchronous communication, we recommend the following:
Spare recipient of courtesy replies (i.e., “Thanks,” “Ok,” etc.) to avoid unnecessary alerts and ultimately alert fatigue
Due to multiple shifts, as well as errant schedules between different departments and specialties plus unique on-call hours, make sure to be mindful of the disruption that the alert from your message may cause (e.g., “The patient finally ate dinner.” – no need to send at 2am, wait until appropriate hour to deliver the message to the provider unless directed otherwise)
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