New Medical Estheticians who were used to simply stamping a time and date on treatments with occasional side notes, are now expected to chart anything and everything they say and do during a patient’s entire treatment. In addition to patient charting comes new treatment consent forms, HIPPA Forms, photography consent forms, payments, agreement forms, anatomical charting forms, and more.
Medical Aestheticians who have any contact with a patient as any part of their treatment, should be charting everything from follow-up calls, to topical treatments used and the patient’s response, to laser settings, test patch tests, follow up appointments, and the patient’s tolerances to treatments.
Estheticians ‘client’ files have now been transformed into a legal medical records by all standards which could need to stand up in a court of law. Some estheticians I have spoken with have not learned the art of charting and feel they should not be required to.
Why is it so important you ask? Unfortunately, there have been more horror stories hitting the media than stories of healing and hope, especially when it comes to therapies that involve lasers. These unfortunate circumstances are a catalyst of change to laser laws across the U.S. Whether the MD is on site or off, they (along with the therapist) can be held liable for any legal implications filed by a patient at the hands of a clinician or aesthetician.
Harsh as it may seem, and it has even happened to our practice, even the most skilled and brilliant aesthetician could be terminated if they refuse to properly chart a patient’s care. Our rule of thumb is… if you didn’t chart it, it didn’t happen.
If you’re performing medical treatments it’s up to you to know what your facility’s requirements are for charting, and what implications can arise if you fail to comply.
Medical Spa MD is a medspa community of Plastic Surgeons, Cosmetic Dermatologists, and Aesthetic Physicians with more than 3,500 physician members world-wide. Medical Spa MD offers wholesale Botox online and offers information on nonsurgical cosmetic medical technologies and treatments.
