> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.elationhealth.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Elation Patient Passport Guide - Communicating with patients & sharing records > This article guides you on how to securely communicate with patients are share patient records with them. ## Overview Patients will automatically have access to the following once they activate their Passport account: * Messaging * Patients can receive written messages and attachments from your practice. * Settings are available to control whether patients can respond to your message and start their own message threads. * Demographics * Patients have real-time access to the following demographics information from their chart: * **Date of birth** * **Emergency Contact** * **Provider Assigned in Practice** * Clinical Profile * Patients have real-time access to the following Clinical Profile details from their chart: * **Allergies** * **Drug Intolerances** * **Medications** * **Vaccines** * Settings can be configured to automatically share more of the Clinical Profile. [Click here to review the four levels of sharing and learn how to set a preferred default](/articles/Setting-up-Patient-Passport#customize_preferences_for_all). * Visit summaries * Patients will automatically receive generated summaries when you sign a visit note. This includes the information documented in the following sections of signed visit notes: * **Vitals** * **Proc (Procedures)** * **Tests/Treatments** * **This includes any Referrals, medications and diagnostic test orders.** * **Care Plan (Instructions)** * **F/U (Follow-up)** * Appointment details * Date of upcoming appointment * Date of last appointment * Link to your Booking Site (if your [Elation Patient Booking Site](/articles/Patient-Booking-Site) has been set up) Any other details or records not mentioned above must be shared **manually** via a [Patient Letter](#sending-messages-records-via-a-patient-letter) . ## Workflow Instructions ### Sharing visit summaries Once a patient registers for their Patient Passport account, they'll immediately see all past visit summaries from signed visit notes. After that, new visit summaries will be automatically shared with them whenever a note is signed in Elation. The patient will get an email or text—based on their notification preference—telling them to log in to their Passport account to view the new summary. ### Sending messages & records via a Patient Letter To manually share records or message a patient, use the Patient Letter feature. | **1** | Create a Patient Letter by clicking **Letter** -> **To Patient** . | | ----- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **2** | Fill out the remaining fields of the Patient Letter. Click here for a detailed breakdown of the different fields. Subject: Provide a brief overview or context to explain the purpose of the message.Body: Type the main content of your message. Use Wordsmith, our generative AI tool, to help you draft your correspondence if needed. Settings Post Date: Select a future date to send the Patient Letter.Unread Alert: Alert yourself if the Patient Letter has not been read by the patient by a specific timeframe.Print Header: Select the Print Header you want to appear on this Patient Letter. | | **3** | Adjust/Add attachments as needed. Click here for a detailed breakdown of the attachment options. Default behavior If you initiated the letter from a patient record, the record will automatically be included as an attachment. Options for attaching records: Select Chart Items to Attach: Use this option to pick and choose individual patient records to attach to the letter. Attach Everything in Chart: Use this option to attach all attachable records, referenced below, to the letter. Records available as attachments include: Patient demographicsClinical ProfileImmunization HistoryMedication ListMedication HistorySigned Visit Notes & NotesSigned ReportsSigned OrdersPatient HandoutsCompleted office messagesOther signed letters or referralsGrowth Charts | | **4** | Select the **Do not allow patient to respond to this letter** box if you want to prevent the patient from replying to your message. | | **5** | **Sign & Send** the correspondence. Click here for a detailed breakdown of the different Send options. Sign & Send: Signs the letter and sends it to the patient’s Patient Passport account. Sign & Print: Signs the letter and prints the entire letter and its attachments.Sign, Send & Create Follow-up Letter: Signs the letters, sends it to the patient’s passport account and then creates a new draft letter. | ### Responding to messages from Patients Look for new patient messages in the Patient Letters inbox on your Practice Home page. To reply, click **Reply** . Patient Letters stay in this inbox until someone from your practice either replies to the message or clicks **Sign Off & End Conversation** , which files the letter in the patient’s Chronological Record. * Clicking **Sign Off & End Conversation** also: * Prevents the patient from replying to the Patient Letter. * Logs the user and the date and time the conversation ended in the Chronological Record. ### Importing attachments from messages If the patient’s message comes with attachments (indicated by a paperclip icon), signing off on the letter will prompt you to file the attachments to the patient’s chart as a Report. Select the attachments you want to file, then click **Sign Off & File Checked Items as Reports** . They will be filed under Misc Reports. ### Reviewing notifications about unread messages Notifications for unread patient messages will appear in the Reminders inbox on your Practice Home page if a letter has not been opened by the patient by a specific date. You can also view these notifications in the Requiring Action section of the patient’s chart. Options for addressing the notification are: * **Resend** - Send the Patient Letter again. * **Acknowledge** - Dismiss the notification. * **Write Message** - Open an office message draft. * **Notify me again later** - Postpone the notification by entering a new timeframe in the **Update Notification** box that appears. ## Related Articles * [Elation Patient Passport Introduction](/articles/elation-patient-passport-an-introduction) * [Elation Patient Passport Guide - Setting up Patient Passport](/articles/Setting-up-Patient-Passport) * [Elation Patient Passport Guide - Managing Passport invitations](/articles/Managing-Passport-invitations) * [Elation Patient Passport Guide - Helping patients troubleshoot Passport issues](/articles/troubleshooting-passport-with-patients) * [Elation Patient Passport Guide - Patient's Point of View](/articles/what-patient-passport-messaging-looks-like-to-a-patient)