Phone call script for a complication in HOF
Quick facts
- Format
- Call script, with a written follow-up message
- When to use
- When the patient reports, or you notice, something unexpected
- Principle
- Listen, assess, act and record, in that order
- Check
- The clinic's complication plan and your professional board's rules
Calling a patient who is having a complication is one of the hardest conversations in the profession. The patient is frightened, you are under pressure, and what is said will weigh on the relationship and on the record. A short script helps you hold on to three things: calm, clarity and immediate action.
The script below covers the first call. The clinical management depends on the case and on your training, and is not covered here: for that, see safety and complications and hyaluronidase in the office. The conversation after the assessment is in telling the patient about a complication.
What is the call script?
What should you say and what should you avoid?
| Say | Avoid |
|---|---|
| "I am going to see you now" | "That is normal, you can wait" when there is a warning sign |
| "I will stay with you until this is resolved" | Promising a result or a certain reversal |
| "I will note everything down so I can follow you" | Blaming the patient for how they cared for themselves |
| "What you are feeling matters" | Calling in a rush, without listening |
| "Would you like to come with someone?" | Talking by text instead of by voice |
What should you record afterwards?
Note the date, the time, who called, what the patient reported, what they were told, the action decided and the time of the assessment. Open the complication record, and keep everything in line with the chart documentation.
Practice this script with your team, so everyone knows who calls, who assesses and who records. To understand the next step in the relationship, see follow-up visit: what to say.
Frequently asked questions
Should I call or write when there is a complication?
Call. A call lets you listen, reassure and agree on the plan on the spot. Afterwards, record in writing what was said and agreed.
Can I downplay it to calm the patient?
No. Be honest and calm: explain what is happening, what will be done and when you will reassess. Downplaying warning signs is dangerous and unethical.
Do I need to notify my insurer or my professional board?
It depends on the case and on your board's rules. Talk to your liability insurer, if you have one, and to legal counsel, without delaying care.