Guide
Moving an electrolysis practice from paper records
Paper treatment cards work right up until they don't: a card is hard to read, hard to search, and only in one place at a time. Moving to digital records is mostly about continuity, keeping the history you have while making the records you take from now on cleaner and easier to use. Here is a practical way to do it without losing anything.
1. Decide what to bring over
You rarely need to migrate everything. Start with active clients, the people you expect to see again, and the treatment history that changes how you treat them next time.
For inactive clients, it is often enough to keep the paper file for your retention period rather than re-key it.
2. Get the data into a consistent shape
Digital tools need consistency. Put the history you are bringing over into a simple, consistent structure, a spreadsheet with one row per client (or per past session) and clear columns, before you import anything.
Even a rough, consistent spreadsheet is far easier to work with than a stack of cards in different handwriting.
3. Keep imported history separate from new charting
Imported history is a snapshot of what happened elsewhere; it is not the same as a session you charted live. Keeping the two clearly separated, and labelled, protects the integrity of your new records and avoids confusion about what was actually recorded at the time.
4. Start charting new sessions digitally from day one
The value of moving off paper comes from what you record going forward. From your first digital appointment, chart the full session, settings, probe lot, areas, response, and a plan for next time, at the point of care.
Within a few visits, the digital record becomes the one you actually reach for.
5. Retain your paper records appropriately
Moving to digital does not automatically mean you can discard the paper. Retention periods for treatment records vary by jurisdiction, so keep your originals as required and store them securely until you are certain your obligations are met.
6. Build the point-of-care habit
The practices that succeed with digital records are the ones that chart during or right after the appointment, not at the end of the week. A tool that is quick to use at the point of care makes that habit realistic.
How Hone handles the move
Hone is built for exactly this transition. During guided onboarding, standard client import brings your history over from a spreadsheet, paper cards, or another tool, and it appears in each client's Before Today briefing clearly labelled as imported, never mixed with what you chart live. From there, new sessions are charted digitally from day one.
Spotted something that needs a correction, or have a question? Email hello@hone.care and we'll review it.