Handing Off a Plan Between Professionals in the Same Clinic

Patients change professionals within the same clinic for a thousand reasons: vacations, scheduling, specialty, a colleague leaving, the patient's own wishes. When the handoff happens from memory alone, the new professional starts from zero, repeats questions, contradicts something the patient had heard and may even repeat a procedure that was already done. A structured plan handoff avoids all of that and preserves the patient's trust.

This page proposes the minimum information for a good handoff, a practical format, care with personal data and the conversation with the patient. For recording the plan in general, see facial treatment plan form: fields and plan journal: progress notes by session.

What information is the minimum?

The new professional needs to answer five questions: who the patient is, what they want, what has already been done, what has been decided and what they have been told. If the handoff answers those five, the rest can be filled in at the visit.

The last point is the most delicate. If the patient saw a simulation at a certain intensity, the new professional needs to know, because she arrives with that image in mind. Contradicting it without knowing is the cause of many conflicts.

What handoff format works?

A one-page handoff, always in the same format, works better than a long account. Standardizing reduces omissions and makes it quick to read.

The format can be a paper form, a document in the clinic's system or a note in the patient record. What matters is that it is always the same. For notation, see abbreviations and notation in a facial harmonization plan and facial map of the plan: how to draw and label it.

And Harmy projections, how do they get passed on?

The app's history stores sessions by patient, with search by name. The new professional can see earlier projections, the date of each one and, when available, the actual result photo. This only works if both use the same account or if the clinic agrees on another way to share. The history belongs to the account, and anyone with access to the account sees everything. Define in the clinic who uses each account and how credentials are protected.

Two points deserve attention. The first is that the projection is an illustration: the new professional should not treat it as a contract from the previous plan. The second is that, if they want to generate a new projection, it starts from a new photo and does not replace the old one. The comparison is covered in comparing projection and actual result.

How do you handle the conversation with the patient?

Patients can tell when a handoff was done poorly. They repeat their story, hear a different opinion and feel that nobody remembers them. To avoid this, the new professional can open the visit by showing that they know the case, confirm what was agreed and ask what has changed. That conveys continuity.

If the two professionals differ in clinical opinion, the way forward is not to discredit the colleague or hide the difference. Record it, talk to the colleague and present the patient with what you recommend and why, without criticism. The patient's autonomy remains central. For this, see comparing plans from two professionals.

What should you do when a professional leaves the clinic?

When a colleague leaves the clinic, the risk of losing information is greater. Do a formal handoff of all patients under follow-up, using the standardized form, before the departure, and make clear who the record belongs to. Patient data follows the LGPD and your professional board's rules, and the clinic should have a retention and access policy. Agree on this in writing. See patient approval of the plan, which covers how the patient's acceptance is recorded and should travel with the case.

Every decision on plan, product, volume and technique belongs to the qualified professional, in line with the rules of their professional board. The simulation is illustrative.