Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association
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Purpose: Secure messaging between patients and their health care team can facilitate chronic care management. PositiveLinks® (PL) is a clinic-affiliated smartphone application designed for patients living with HIV that includes a secure messaging feature for patients, PL staff, and clinic providers to communicate. Our aim was to examine the content and function of messaging within PL. ⋯ Messages sent by providers were most likely to contain rapport building at 54.8%. Conclusion: PL messaging was used to handle medical and social needs with potential impact on patients' health and offers an opportunity to strengthen patient-provider relationships through responsiveness and rapport building. Secure messaging through a clinic-affiliated smartphone app could enhance patient-centered care between clinical visits.