Patient Portal Communication for Effective Psychiatric Care

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Through the patient portal, we facilitate telemedicine communication, as it is our only channel for non-emergency matters related to psychiatric care.

No specific response time is guaranteed for inquiries submitted through our patient portal. Generally, refill requests and messages are handled within about 72 hours. Please note that response times may vary when the provider is on vacation or taking personal time off; in such cases, another provider may assist with your psychiatric care or medication refill. Messages received outside our clinic days or on holidays will trigger an auto-reply and will be addressed upon our return, ensuring continued telemedicine communication.

Not for emergencies. In a crisis, call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or call or text 988. Do not send a portal message and wait. If you’re in the Albuquerque area and need urgent psychiatric care without being in immediate danger, the UNM Psychiatric Urgent Care Clinic (PUCC) offers specialized services for such needs—no referral required. Located within the UNM Psychiatric Center and connected to the inpatient psychiatric hospital, admission is readily available if necessary. PUCC is located at 2600 Marble Ave. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, and can be reached at 505-272-9038. The clinic is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, with the last patient seen at 5:30 p.m. Please note that the patient portal is not a substitute for an appointment. It’s not appropriate to use it for reporting new or worsening symptoms—schedule a visit instead. Additionally, requesting clinical advice or a diagnosis via messaging, asking for urgent medication changes outside of a visit, sending long narrative messages instead of attending a session, or sending repeated messages after receiving a response are all discouraged. We may not respond to messages that do not require a clinical response, are redundant, or should be addressed during an appointment. This includes persistent pressure for controlled substance prescriptions. Misuse of the patient portal may lead to restricted messaging capabilities.

One topic per message is essential for effective telemedicine communication. Be specific — for example, ‘refill of sertraline 50mg, CVS on Central’ is better than a paragraph. Always include the medication, dose, and pharmacy details. Avoid sending duplicates on the patient portal, as they may cause your message to be deprioritized in psychiatric care.

Yes, keep your credentials private — anyone with access can view your medical information in the patient portal, which is crucial for maintaining confidentiality during telemedicine communication and psychiatric care.