MICROLEARNING LIBRARY  
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The Handoff
(What, Who, When, Do)

Set each other up for success + create a seamless experience for the patient. Ending your part of a visit well matters as much as how you started it. Every time a patient changes hands, uncertainty can creep back in, even after a great interaction. A clear handoff keeps that trust intact. This upSKILL shares a simple formula for making every handoff feel like teamwork, not disconnected moments.
   5:41 Watch Time [Week 27 from the Weekly upSKILL series]
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 Real Help 

Solve these 'people problems'

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For upSKILLers:

  • Patients left sitting with the same fear of the unknown you just spent the whole visit clearing up
  • A good visit ending on an awkward, abrupt note because there was no clear handoff
  • Patients handed off to you feeling anxiety about your part of the interaction
  • Set your teammates up for success as a great team player
  • Creating one smooth, connected experience for your patients instead of a string of separate interactions

For Leaders:

  • Patient anxiety building through multiple handoffs between team members or departments
  • Team members ending interactions abruptly because handoffs aren't standardized
  • Inconsistent handoffs that make the whole organization feel disjointed to the patient, even when each person did good work
  • Coaching team members to hand off with a formula 
  • Patients experiencing the whole team as one coordinated, trustworthy unit instead of separate stops
  • Fewer complaints about feeling lost, confused, or forgotten between appointments or departments
 Data 

It's science

Clear handoffs are important because of something called uncertainty reduction. Communication research shows people are wired to actively seek information about someone new before they feel settled with them.(1)
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A clear handoff gives patients exactly what they need to feel steady with the next team member before they even meet.
Fear of the unknown is considered one of the most fundamental human fears; some research even ranks it above fear of death.(2)
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Every time a patient changes hands mid-visit, that same fear can resurface, even if everything before that moment went great.
Handoff communication breakdowns are flagged as a leading cause of preventable errors and dissatisfaction during care transitions.(3)
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A clear, consistent handoff is one of the simplest ways to protect the trust you've already built.
 Note 

From The Experts

"It sets each other up for success. When our teammate enters the situation, the patient already expects a good experience. This can establish trust and create comfort before they even meet them or speak with them on the phone. The point is for the patient to feel connected, informed, and safe in the transition from you to the next team member."
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- Christine & Lauren, The Patient Whisperers
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 SERIES 

This is adapted from Weekly: Mastering Soft Skills

by The Patient Whisperers:
Soft skills that make work and life better.
For everyone who works with patients - or interacts with humans.

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Ralph Chu, MD
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Chu Vision Institute

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 WHO 

Meet the experts

The Patient Whisperers
Christine Scarlett
& Lauren Weaver
Former practice leaders leading change by bringing relational intelligence, soft skills + emotional connection into healthcare as authors, speakers, and upSKILL instructors. 
Get to know them here or connect on social media:
Christine Scarlett
Former CMO
& Director of Patient Experience
From counseling patients, to Director of Patient Experience, to CMO, Christine's worn nearly every 'hat' in a healthcare practice. The driving force? Her love for people... creating exceptional patient experiences and empowering those who serve them.
Lauren Weaver
Former
Director of Brand Development
Bringing her PR, branding, social media influencer status, and love of storytelling with her, Lauren turned how we market and build a brand for ourselves in healthcare upside down by redefining how we connect with our patients, both in practice and online.
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(1) Berger, C. R., & Calabrese, R. J. (1975). "Some Explorations in Initial Interaction and Beyond: Toward a Developmental Theory of Interpersonal Communication." Human Communication Research, 1(2), 99-112. (2) Carleton, R. N. (2016). "Fear of the Unknown: One Fear to Rule Them All?" Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 41, 5-21. (3) The Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare. Improving Transitions of Care: Hand-off Communications.