Recently while on a flight, the pilot came on over the PA system and stated, "flight attendants, we have been cleared for take off." I happened to glance toward the front and noticed the all the flight attendants were seated and strapped into their seat belts. So why did the pilot need to make that announcement? To ensure that everyone, not just the flight attendants, were aware of our next move.
This is the same reason why a proper hand off of a patient at the conclusion of a dental appointment is key to know what the next move will be for the patient. The appearance of the patient at the checkout counter is a visual clue that this patient's appointment is over. If an office has computers in the operatory the treatment plan should already be entered into the patient's chart, otherwise the chart can be read by the check out team member for the information. So why state the obvious? It is important so the patient is aware of the next move and knows that the entire team is on board. Read More...