FootFall Connect

Easily transfer episodes directly into patient’s EMIS records with FootFall Connect. Our new integration application includes a desktop toolbar to perform effortless transactions between FootFall, EMIS and the patient.

This user guide explains how the FootFall Connect Application can be used to integrate with EMIS Web. The application includes a desktop Toolbar which can be used to perform key tasks whilst working in the clinical system. The Toolbar is also explained in this guide.

What is FootFall Connect

FootFall Connect is a desktop application which enables a direct integration between FootFall and EMIS Web. The application is available to practices that are running the latest version of FootFall (v6.3.10).

FootFall Connect allows practices using EMIS to:

  • send episodes directly into the patient record
  • swap the active patient in EMIS to match the current FootFall patient
  • or, retrieve the active EMIS patient’s FootFall episodes

The application comes with a floating desktop toolbar that can be used whilst working in EMIS to perform tasks such as:

  • View the active patient’s FootFall episodes
  • Sending the active patient a message
  • Booking or starting a Video Consultation with the active patient

How to get FootFall Connect?

FootFall Connect requires a desktop installation which will need to be initiated either by an IT administrator within the practice, or via your CSU.

If you haven’t already, you can start the installation process by contacting sofia.ward@siliconpractice.co.uk and add ‘FootFall Connect’ to the title of your message.

Watch the FootFall Connect Video

Logging In

For FootFall Connect to work you must have EMIS and the FootFall dashboard open.

  1. Select the ‘FootFall Connect’ desktop shortcut
  2. Enter your EMID CDB number* when prompted

    *your practice CDB number can be located at the top of your EMIS window

  3. Enter your FootFall user login and password (this is the same login and password you use to login to the FootFall dashboard). Select ‘Confirm’.

The FootFall Connect floating Toolbar will appear, ready for you to use and you will be able to send episodes into EMIS.

FootFall Connect Toolbar

The FootFall Connect Toolbar allows users to perform key tasks whilst working in EMIS.

The Toolbar can be used to:

  • View and access a list of the active EMIS Patient’s FootFall requests
  • Send the active EMIS patient an email or SMS (if SMS is enabled)
  • Pre-book or start an instant video consultation with the active EMIS patient


1. Recent Requests

Retrieves the active EMIS patient’s recent FootFall requests.

This list will only include episodes where the patients NHS number matches.

You can select any of the episodes in the list to open a new tab and view the episode in its entirety.

2. Send a Message

You can initiate contact with the patient using the messaging option.

Selecting the message icon will open a new window where you can choose the contact type (SMS or Email), and type a message to send to the patient.

Similar to the dashboard reply options, you can choose if you would like the patient to be able to reply to your message as well as set an alert.

You also have the option to copy your message into EMIS.

Sending a message via the Toolbar will create a closed record in the dashboard.  Should the patient reply to your message, the episode will re-open and appear in the dashboard as ‘New:Reply’.

The message window will only appear if there is a  telephone number or email address in the patient’s EMIS record.

The SMS option will only be available if SMS has been enabled for your practice.

3. Book Video Consultation

You can start or book a video consultation with the active EMIS patient.

Selecting the video icon will open a new window. Here you can select how you would like to send the patient the consultation notification.

The video consultation window will only appear if there is a telephone number or email address in the patient’s EMIS record.

The SMS option will only be available if SMS has been enabled for your practice.

Like the dashboard, you are able to choose a date, time and staff member for the consultation.

Selecting ‘Book’ will schedule the video consultation.

Selecting ‘Start Now’ will take you into  the video consultation to wait for the patient to join.

You can use the consultation window to take notes which can be saved once the consultation is ended, along with the appointment outcome.

4. Move Toolbar

Selecting the move icon allows you to drag the Toolbar into a position on your screen that suits you.

Change Options

Selecting the three dots will change the options you see on the tool bar.

Log Out – Logs you out of FootFall Connect.
This will not log you out of the Dashboard.

Change CDB Number – The CDB number identifies the EMIS system.  Using the button will log you out and ask you to re-enter a CDB number.
This can be useful for practice staff who work across different EMIS systems.

There are some other updates you will see as part of the FootFall Connect integration…

Show Current EMIS Patient

  1. When working on the dashboard, the ‘Show Current EMIS Patient’ button will appear at the top of the dashboard. This button will display the demographic details of  the current active EMIS patient and list all of their recent FootFall requests.
  2. Any of the patient’s episodes displayed in the list can be opened by selecting the entry.
  3.  You can initiate contact with the patient from here, by selecting ‘Send patient a message’ at the top of the page.

    This opens a new window where you can enter a message to send to the patient.

The SMS option will only be available if SMS has been enabled for your practice.

Swap Patient

The Swap Patient feature allows the users to swap their active EMIS patient to the patient they have open in FootFall.

  1. In the patient episode you can select the ‘Swap patient’ option on the actions toolbar to open the patient record in EMIS.

    Swap Patient will only work if there is a NHS number within the patient information and EMIS is open.
  2. A loading icon appear, followed by a notification to confirm the ‘EMIS patient has been successfully swapped’.
  3. The active patient in EMIS will now match the patient you have open in FootFall.

Sending Episodes to EMIS

When an episode is open, the entire episode can be sent to EMIS providing the patient has a valid NHS number.

The patient does not need to be the current active patient in EMIS.

    1. To send the episode to EMIS select the ‘EMIS’ action on the toolbar.

      • The exporting window will appear showing all of the episode components:
      • clinical codes that are attached to the episode
      • the original patient submission and attachments from the patient
      • practice and patient replies
      • episode notes
      • the closing outcome of the episode (if episode has been closed)

You can choose to omit information you do not want to send to the clinical system using the toggle buttons.

By default the episode will be written into the patients consultations as text, but there is the  option to export the episode as a PDF document to help keep the patient consultation compact.

  1. Select ‘Send to EMIS’.
    You will see a notification to confirm the episode has been successfully imported to EMIS and the episode will appear in the patient’s consultation.

When the episode is submitted to EMIS the episode will be added to the patient record using the date and time of the original request.

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