Start with work that is still waiting
At a shift handoff, review the callbacks and patient requests that remain open. Include missed appointments that need a decision, but check whether anyone has already contacted the patient before adding another task.
A patient without a next booking may have finished care, chosen to wait or need advice from their practitioner. If you use Jane.app, the rebooking guide explains how to use the Unscheduled Patient Report and decide whether contact is appropriate.
Choose the next action from the patient's request, their contact preferences and the clinic's policy. Send questions about treatment to the care team rather than asking the front desk to decide what care is needed.
Leave a handoff someone can use
Use the fields below in your existing approved record. This is an editorial routine, not a requirement to buy another tool or create a separate patient spreadsheet.
| Field | What to leave for the next person |
|---|
| Record reference | A link or reference to the clinic record; keep patient details there. |
| Unresolved request | What the patient asked for, or what needs confirmation. |
| Owner | The person responsible for the next step. |
| Next step | The specific action, including the agreed contact method where relevant. |
| Review date | When the owner or shift lead will check whether it happened. |
| Outcome | The reply, decision or remaining work after the action. |
“Follow up” is too vague to hand over. “Return the booking call using the recorded contact preference; check for a reply at tomorrow's handoff” tells the next person what to do.
Worked example: a booking call needs a reply
In this invented example, a patient left a voicemail asking about an appointment. The morning shift could not return it before handing over.
The afternoon owner checks for an earlier response and the patient's contact preference, then returns the call. If the patient replies, the owner records what was agreed. If there is no reply, the task stays open with the next review date set according to clinic policy. Leaving a voicemail completes a contact attempt; it does not resolve the booking request.
An internal handoff can be brief:
[Record reference]: booking request still awaiting a reply. [Owner] will use the recorded contact method and check for a response at [review date]. No booking confirmed yet.
Use placeholders in shared examples. Put real patient information only in the clinic's approved record.
Close the request with a recorded outcome
A request can be resolved by a booking, an answer, a referral to the right team member or the patient's decision that they do not need further contact. Record the actual result. If another action is needed, leave its owner and review date before ending the shift.
Keep a contact attempt, a reply, a booking, an attended visit and a posted payment separate. They tell you different things. A booked appointment alone does not show that care was delivered or money was collected.
For missed visits, use the no-show checks before deciding what follow-up is appropriate. For the owner's recurring review, the weekly checklist helps the team choose a verified task and check what happened to it.
Check the next handoff
Start by reading back the items due for review. Can the next person see what happened and what remains? If they still have to reconstruct the request, improve that handoff before adding more reminders or automation.
The useful change is a request that receives an appropriate answer and a record the next shift can trust. Review that outcome before attributing a financial result to the routine.
Sources
Jane documentation checked October 3, 2026. The handoff routine and example are editorial recommendations, not claims about an automated Caretrics feature.
Rob SaricCo-founder & CEO at Caretrics