How do clients access Case Notes in Nightingale?

Overview

This feature allows a user in Nightingale to create a link to a case note which can be accessed without a Nightingale login, so that a client may complete and submit a case note. The link will work for a week after it has been generated, after which it will expire and lead to an error page.

Create a case note for your client

Go to create a new case note for this client in the same way you would normally - for example, via the client dashboard:

On the following page, you can select the Case Note Category and Case Note Type which you would like the new case note to have, as normal. Then, instead of clicking “Next”, click on “Generate Client Link”:

After you click on this button, a new section of text will appear on the page including a link to the new case note, which you can then send to the client. This link will allow the case note to be accessed without needing a Nightingale login, enabling the client to access it.

What happens when the link is generated

When the link is generated in the above step, a new empty case note of the selected type will be created on the client:

This case note will not be editable by staff members in Nightingale, only by someone accessing it via the link. This way you can ensure the Client’s submission is not being changed by Nightingale users.

What the client will see

In this example, we have sent the customer a custom case note which has a Text Area for their feedback, and a box for their signature. This case note is given a Title automatically, which cannot be changed, but the Date, Time, and any custom fields in the case note will be editable by the Client.

note

While a logged in staff member might be able to see a full HTML text box, these fields will not be seen by a client through generate client link. If you require the client to have a similar text box please add a custom text box field to the form.

While a logged in staff member might be able to see a full HTML text box, these fields will not be seen by a client through generate client link. If you require the client to have a similar text box please add a custom text box field to the form.

Verification

At the bottom of the page, the Client will be presented with a section for verifying their identity. This process is entirely optional - the Client can still submit the completed case note without performing this step if they prefer.

In order to verify their identity before saving the case note, the client should:

1. Write their email address in the top box, and then click “Send Verification Email”. If the email address provided matches the client’s email address in Nightingale, then an email will be sent to this address which will contain a verification code.

2. Copy the verification code in the email message into the next box, and click “Verify Identity”. If the code in the box matches the one that Nightingale sent out, then the verification is complete and a message to that effect will appear above the Save button.

At the bottom of the page, the Client will be presented with a section for verifying their identity. This process is entirely optional - the Client can still submit the completed case note without performing this step if they prefer.

In order to verify their identity before saving the case note, the client should:

1. Write their email address in the top box, and then click “Send Verification Email”. If the email address provided matches the client’s email address in Nightingale, then an email will be sent to this address which will contain a verification code.

2. Copy the verification code in the email message into the next box, and click “Verify Identity”. If the code in the box matches the one that Nightingale sent out, then the verification is complete and a message to that effect will appear above the Save button.

If the ClickSend integration is enabled in your Nightingale instance, the client can also perform verification via SMS to the phone number on their profile in Nightingale. If the integration is enabled, there will be another text box and button that work in exactly the same way as for email verification.

Once the Client has clicked Save, they will be directed to another page with the results of their submission. In this example, the client has not verified their identity.

Note: Once the case note has been saved, the link will no longer work. This does mean that the case note needs to be completed in one sitting.

View the finished case note in Nightingale

Go to the Client’s case notes list as normal, and navigate to the Closed/Finalised case notes using the button at the top:

For our example, the client did not verify their identity and this is reflected in the Case Note Status:

If the client had verified their identity, there would be a Case Note Status of “Completed By Client (Verified)”. Once we open the case note to view the contents, we can see all of the fields the Client completed. We can also see, in the Case Note Details field, all of the information that appeared on the successful submission page:

If the Client did verify their identity, the Case Note Details section will also include the email address (or phone number) that was used for the verification.