Spok Go FAQ

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This article lists some common questions related to using Spok Go.

The Spok Go Platform

General Platform FAQs

How can I purchase specific features and functionality of Spok Go?

Spok Go is offered in three packages: Spok Go Base Platform, Spok Go Clinical Care package, and Spok Diagnostics package. Each package contains specific features and functionality. Spok Go Base is required for Spok Go Clinical Care and Spok Diagnostics.

If Spok Go is offered as a service (SaaS), does this mean that the customer needs fewer IT resources?

A SaaS model does not necessarily require fewer IT resources. Instead, existing IT resources may need to become more focused on compliance, evaluation, and SaaS system configuration.

Can I just move my existing systems to a hosted environment, instead of rearchitecturing to a cloud-native system?

No. Simply moving existing systems to a hosted environment does not provide the scalability and resiliency of a truly cloud-native environment.

Accessing Spok Go

Is a unique user name required to sign in to Spok Go?

Yes. You can sign in using your network credentials, if Spok Go was setup to integrate with your single sign-on system. Otherwise, a user account within Spok Go is required.

Why are users required to log in to the Spok Go desktop client in order to view the directory or On-Call Schedules?

Users are required to log in so that each message can be associated with a sender for security and audit purposes. The directory and On-Call Scheduling can only be managed in the Spok Go desktop client.

If a unique user name is required, are there any sign in limitations (Example: numbers, letters, special characters, character limits, etc.)?

Spok Go does not have any restrictions on character type for logins.

Is a password required to access the application?

Yes. Passwords are required. If Spok Go has been integrated with your single sign-on system, use your regular network password.

Does the application prevent password re-use?

For SAML/single sign-on users, the ability to reuse passwords is controlled by the authenticating system.

For Spok Native users, password reuse is not allowed.

For native users that are created by a Spok Go administrator, how long is the initial temporary password valid?

A native user’s initial temporary password, which is included with their invitation email, expires after 7 days. After it expires, a Spok Go administrator must resend the invitation email, which generates a new temporary password.

What is the expiration policy for passwords for native users?

The duration for native user’s password expiration is configurable by the organization’s administrator in the Organization Settings. The available expiration setting is between 30 and 730 days.

Do passwords display when entered?

No. Complete passwords do not display when entered. However, the last letter of a password that is in the process of being entered does display.

Are passwords visible to the system administrator(s)?

No. Passwords are not visible to the system administrator(s).

Can the user be prompted to change passwords at first sign in?

Yes, if single sign-on has not been implemented, users will receive a temporary password to sign in. After they enter their temporary passwords, users will be prompted to change their passwords.

Do users have the ability to change their password at any time?

Yes.

Can user passwords be set to expire?

The duration for native user’s password expiration is configurable by the organization’s administrator in the Organization Settings. The available expiration setting is between 30 and 730 days.

If Spok Go has been integrated with your single sign-on system, passwords for federated Spok Go users will expire based on the rules set by your organization.

Can sign in accounts be disabled without deleting the account?

Yes. A Spok Go Administrator can set a user account to inactive, which will prevent the user from signing in and using the messaging features.

Does the application define roles?

Yes. Spok Go has roles that define the permissions for an user account. An account can have one of the following roles:

User: A person can sign in toSpok Go and use the messaging functionality.
Organization Administrator: A person can sign in to Spok Go and use the messaging functionality as well as manage user accounts and the organization, including the facilities, units, etc.

Does the application lock after failed attempts?

Yes. The application locks after 10 failed attempts to sign in.

Are app-initiated messages secured?

Yes.

What happens if a Spok Go user's Active Directory account is locked or disabled?

If a user is locked out of their Active Directory account, they will also be locked out of Spok Go for both mobile and desktop, and will be notified to contact their administrator.

Can an administrator force a user to log out of Spok Go?

Yes. Administrators can disable a user's Spok Go account, which will lock the user out of Spok Go for both web and mobile.

How can outside organizations, whose users do not have Active Directory credentials, gain access to view On-Call Schedules in Spok Go?

You can manually add affiliated providers to Spok Go. Affiliated providers will set up their own password when they first log in. After this, they can send messages within Spok Go, including to on-call providers.

How does Single Sign-on via SAML affect user sign-in?

Spok Go's implementation of SSO via SAML recognizes a single set of external credentials, and requires users to use those credentials to sign in. This model of SSO stands in contrast to other models that recognize a set of SSO credentials from another application, or the operating system, that are also valid for Spok Go.

What is the timeout for a session of Spok Go?

90 days for Android and iOS in all regions before a session times out and re-authentication is required.

Spok Go for the web has a dedicated timeout that is configured in the organization settings by the customer with a maximum is 10 hours before the session times out.

Data Storage

Is data stored off site?

Yes. Data is stored off site by Amazon’s Web Services.

Is offsite data securely transmitted?

Yes. Data is securely transmitted using SSL certificates and TLS 1.2.

Do administrators have the ability to wipe data from devices?

Yes, Care Connect system administrators have a wipe command available in the administrative interface.

Secure Data Transmission

How is data securely transmitted between the user and the application (both internally and externally)?

Data is securely transmitted between users and the application by using the following technologies:

SSL certificates
TLS 1.2 protocols

If users use the dictate option on their built-in operating system keyboard to dictate a message, will the data be sent to Apple/Google in an unencrypted format?

Yes. If a user taps the dictate option on the built-in OS keyboard to dictate a message, the data is sent to Apple/Google in an unencrypted format. This is not considered a HIPAA-compliant workflow. Though the behavior can vary by device operating system, it is a best practice to educate users not to dictate PHI to the application.

This behavior is common to all mobile apps that use the built-in OS keyboard, such as Epic Haiku.

Network Requirements

Are there any special network requirements for Spok Go?

No.

Firewall Requirements

Does Spok Go have firewall requirements?

If Spok Go is integrated with on-premise systems like Smart Suite or Spok Messenger, an outbound connection through the firewall needs to be available. An on-premises gateway is used to route messages and alerts from these systems to Spok Go. When the on-premises gateway is installed on-site, the firewall is also set up.

Does Spok Go require any ports to be open?

When Spok Go is integrated with Smart Suite and/or Spok Messenger, the on-premise gateway allows only one outbound connection on port 443. Traffic from the internet is not allowed down to gateway.

SSL Certificate Requirements

Are SSL certificates required?

Yes. When Spok Go is integrated with existing systems, such as Smart Suite and Spok Messenger, a SSL certificate is required. The certificate can be public or self-signed.

Integration and the Gateway Server

Why does Spok Go use a gateway server?

Spok's architecture is cloud-native. The Gateway Server is required to connect to on-premise systems.

How redundant is the Gateway Server?

The Gateway Server uses 6 virtual machines, 3 of which are for testing. This allows the Gateway Server to be redundant and highly available.

How does the on-premise Gateway communicate with Spok Go's cloud-based platform?

Each Gateway securely communicates with Spok Go over an encrypted TLS 1.2 connection.

Each Gateway is uniquely associated with an organization or “tenant” within Spok Go by system-generated GUIDs. Each Gateway and each tenant has its own unique GUID, and every alert, event, and message that is sent from a Gateway to Spok Go includes the GUIDs for the originating gateway, as well as for the Gateway's tenant. Each connection to Spok Go from an on-premise Gateway is specific to a Gateway configuration within a tenant in Spok Go. Including the GUIDs with each alert, event, and message ensures communication integrity between each Gateway and Spok Go.

The Gateway communicates with Spok Go using an outbound-only HTTPS connection on port 443, utilizing RESTful APIs via long poll connections. This allows alerts, events and messages to be sent securely to Spok Go, while allowing the outbound connection to temporarily remain open in order to receive any subsequent responses and acknowledgments. This eliminates the need for Server-to-Client connections from Spok Go to a Gateway, which would require customers to open inbound ports to the internet.

How can I get critical test results?

Critical test results are received from an EHR or lab information system via a native HL7 data feed to the Gateway Server. See HL7 Interface Specifications for supported systems. The Spok Go workflow engine then routes the alert to the ordering provider, then to the appropriate on-call group and/or nurse via the specified staff assignment.

How can I access the logs for the Gateway Server?

The Gateway Server logs are available in Datadog.

How is the operating system updated on the Gateway Server?

The operating system and kernel on the Gateway Server is automatically updated every Tuesday.

Will SSH access be required for the Gateway Server?

Yes, SSH access will be required for flat file imports.

Can Spok Go receive events and alerts from Epic? Can Spok Go send information to Epic?

Spok Go can receive HL7 events and alerts from EHRs, including Epic. In the future, it may be possible for Spok Go to send information back to Epic.

Can Spok Mobile users send messages to Spok Go users?

While it is possible for a message sent by a Spok Mobile user to be received by a Spok Go user via WCTP integration with an on-premises system (see Sending a Message from Spok Mobile to Spok Go for more information), the use of this scenario is not encouraged due to the disconnected, multi-app user experience this messaging can create.

Can Spok Go users send messages to Spok Mobile, Smart Suite, Spok Console, or MediCall?

No.

Which HL7 source systems are currently supported by Spok Go?

See HL7 Interface Specifications for the currently supported source systems.

How does the outbound HL7 interface handle connectivity issues?

When connectivity issues are encountered, the outbound HL7 interface will attempt to resend the failing HL7 message every 10 seconds up to 1 minute for a total of 7 attempts. After the 7th attempt, the message will be skipped, allowing the next message to be transmitted.

Will Spok Go integrate with Spok Messenger for events other than nurse calls?

No, there are no plans to expand integration with Spok Messenger.

What if the Gateway is not receiving WCTP messages from a console or nurse call messages (or tests) from Messenger?

If all components in the console(s), Spok Messenger and Spok Go appear to be properly configured but messages fail to be sent to the Gateway, re-upload a valid PFX SSL certificate to the Gateway. Follow the steps for Enabling_HTTPS, then click the "Update Gateway" button in the Spok Go Administration interface to apply the updated certificate to the Gateway.

What are the possible scenarios where a tenant would need more than one Gateway?

Scenario 1: A tenant might need more than one Gateway if they are a large customer with many hospitals or data centers that are distanced from each other (not just across town, but potentially hundreds of miles apart). In that case it might be a best practice to install a Gateway in each hospital or data center to reduce possible network latency when sending on-premises HL7, WCTP, or TAP/nurse calls to a Gateway that is not installed locally.

Scenario 2: Typically, nurse call systems handle multiple rooms, units, or floors in a hospital, and multiple nurse call systems can exist in a single hospital. A Gateway can support up to 20 TAP/nurse call instances, with each instance being a TAP/nurse call profile supported by the Gateway and associated with one of a hospital's nurse call systems. In cases where a customer requires more than 20 TAP/nurse call connections, another Gateway is needed to support the additional instances."

What is the maximum message size that Spok Go can receive via a WCTP paging message?

Spok Go is able to receive up to 50,000 characters in a single WCTP message.

Messaging

What functionality is included with Spok Go Messaging?

Global Search	Find and message users, on-call groups, on-call roles, and care team roles. From a smart mobile device, initiate a call to a user's primary phone.
Inbox	Centralized view of all messages, with the ability to hide, sort, filter, and silence conversations. Read receipts show which users have read your message and when.
Message users	Initiate and participate in chat conversations with other users or groups. Set priority for messages.
Group Chat	Initiate conversations with multiple users. Add users to a group chat by name or role. Set priority for a conversation.
Group Messaging	Send messages to groups in your organization. Set priority for a conversation
Care Team Roles	View your current Care Team role assignments. Opt into or out of Care Team role assignments from your smart mobile device.
Notification Settings	A user can enable Mute Switch Override to allow notification sounds to play on their smart device, regardless of their device's mute switch setting
Availability Status	Never Signed In Available Do Not Disturb Logout Inactive
Organization Settings	Configure notification tones for Critical and High priority messages for a tenant

How does messaging in Spok Go differ from other messaging and collaboration applications, such as Microsoft Teams?

Unlike other messaging and collaboration applications, Spok Go is specifically designed for healthcare environments. Spok Go includes clinician-specific features, such as alerts generated from workflows, alert escalation, roles, nurse codes, pages, on-call providers, and priority messages. While other applications may approximate some of these features, they are explicitly built into Spok Go, and Spok Go is designed to leverage these capabilities with healthcare professionals in mind.

Can I send messages from SmartSuite to Spok Go?

Yes, messages may be sent one-way from SmartSuite to Spok Go. The recipient cannot reply. The sender's name is also not displayed in Spok Go, so that information must be included in the body of the message.

What is the maximum number of individual recipients that can be added to a chat?

Up to 500 individual recipients can be added to a chat. The list of total participants also cannot exceed 400 KB in size.

How fast can Spok Go generate messages?

In AWS, Spok Go can send messages at a rate of 333 messages per second.

Administration

What functionality is included in the Spok Go Administration interface?

User Administration	Create and manage users. Create native accounts without using Active Directory
Identity Providers	Active Directory authentication. Automatically create users in Spok Go when users authenticate with Active Directory.
Test Tenants	Configure test tenants. Provision trusted users in test tenants. Trusted users can switch between normal and test tenants using the same credentials.
Security Roles	Assign one or more out-of-the-box security roles to users.
Group Management	Create and manage groups, which can include users or Care Team roles as members. Set groups to Private to hide the group from Global Search.
Care Team Roles	Configure Care Team Roles and assignments at a facility or unit level. Administrators can assign roles to users, or users can self-assign roles from their mobile device or desktop.
Shared Smart Device Support	Register and assign smart shared devices. Allow users to inherit the phone numbers of their devices, and to be viewable and searchable in Global Search. SIP and TEL support.
Spok Wide Area Pagers	Provision Spok pagers and assign them to users or Care Team roles. Users can configure communication preferences for their pager, so that only certain types of alerts go to their pager at certain times of day.
Gateway Setup

Workflows

What functionality is included with Workflows?

Workflows

Create alerting workflows based on out-of-the-box templates for events like Nurse Calls and Critical Test Results.
Configure how alerts should be escalated, based on Staff Assignment, On-Call roles, and groups.

Can I define the escalation criteria for critical test results?

Yes. The system administrator can define escalation criteria for critical test results. Results can be escalated to on-call groups, then to users specified by staff assignment.

Can I use Spok Go to track whether an order was acted on?

No. Spok Go's Order Routing tracks who was notified of an order and when, but does not track whether any action was taken based on the order.

What happens when multiple workflows have the same triggers, and the same number of triggers?

If two or more workflows have exactly the same triggers and exactly the same number of triggers, the workflow that is found first will execute first. In this case, order of execution cannot be guaranteed.

Staff Assignment

What functionality is included with Staff Assignment?

Staff Assignment

Assign users to beds and rooms in a unit.
Ability for all users to see Staff Assignments within the Staff Assignment application.

On-Call Scheduling

What functionality is included with On-Call Scheduling?

On-Call Scheduling	Create on-call groups and associate roles with the group. Create on-call shifts, copy and paste assignment information. Assign members to one or more roles in a shift. Identify gaps in coverage for required roles. Monthly, weekly, and role-based views. Printer-friendly monthly view.
Message with On-Call Roles or On-Call Groups	Message with users that are currently assigned to an on-call group or assignment. Set priority for messages.

Global Search

What functionality is included with Global Search?

Global Search

Search for people, department, group, role, or on-call.
Use Advanced Search to filter search results.
Use quick actions to send a message or call.
Click on search result to view a detailed profile card.

How are Global Search results determined?

Global Search uses a score that determines the ranking of results by location, department, role, and specialties based on the matching associations to the user initiating the search. For location, the closer the searched user matches you in the hierarchy, the higher the score. For example, users in the same facility rank higher than users in the same region. If users have the same department, role, or specialties, the score increases further and those users appear higher in the results.