Team Chat is designed to support efficient internal communication within your clinic. It helps coordinate care and streamline operations, but it is not a substitute for clinical documentation. Use of Team Chat must align with applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards.

Regulatory Responsibility

Use of the Internal Messaging feature carries compliance obligations. The subscriber is solely responsible for determining whether its use of Team Chat, as designed, complies with applicable laws, regulations, licensure requirements, and professional standards in its jurisdiction.

PHI in Team Chat

Team Chat may involve the use of patient information during care coordination. Within this context, even a patient's name tied to care or scheduling can be considered PHI.

When using Team Chat:

• Limit communication to the minimum necessary information needed to complete the task
• Share patient-related details only in private channels or direct messages
• Ensure all participants in the conversation are authorized to access that patient’s information
  Avoid using broad or public channels for any patient-specific communication. Team Chat is intended to support collaboration, not to widely distribute patient information.

Medical Record Considerations

Team Chat is a communication tool and is not part of the legal medical record. It should be used to coordinate care, not to replace formal documentation.
If information discussed in chat influences patient care, it must be appropriately documented in the patient’s chart. The subscriber is responsible for ensuring that all clinical decisions and care-related communications are properly recorded. ChiroUp does not guarantee the availability, completeness, or permanence of chat content as part of the medical record.

Message Retention and Access

Messages within Team Chat are retained within the system and may persist long-term. Deleting a message removes it from active view but does not necessarily eliminate it from the system.
Authorized administrators may access, review, search, and export messaging content and related metadata for legitimate business purposes, including:

• Security and compliance monitoring
• Internal audits or investigations
• Operational support
• Legal or regulatory requests

System activity may also be logged, including message creation, edits, deletions (archiving), and channel membership changes.

Legal and Professional Use

Communications within Team Chat should be treated as part of your professional environment. Message content may be subject to review or disclosure in legal or regulatory contexts, as permitted or required by law.
Maintain a professional tone and use appropriate clinical judgment in all communications. Avoid informal or unnecessary commentary about patients, and ensure that all information shared is relevant to care or operations.

Security and Device Use

Access Team Chat only through secure, authorized devices and in accordance with your organization’s security policies. When using mobile or shared devices, take reasonable precautions such as securing the device, logging out when appropriate, and avoiding unattended access.

Be aware of potential risks, including misdirected messages, shared device access, or lost devices.

Key Reminders

• Use private channels or direct messages for any patient-related communication
• Limit shared information to what is necessary for the task
• Document all clinically relevant information in the patient chart
• Assume messages are retained and may be reviewed if needed
• Maintain professionalism in all communications