Scheduling Walk-ins

Question: We see patients in the order they sign in. That means that walk-ins sometimes are seen before patients with appointments. That doesn't seem fair. How can we make sure that doesn't happen?

Answer: Print out a list of scheduled patients, then add by hand names of walk-ins as they come in. The printed list will be your scheduled patients, and the hand-written ones your add-ons. Or, if you keep the schedule electronically, add an asterisk to the end of the last names of the patients who walk in. You'll want to put someone in charge of managing this, such as your front office receptionist. Call patients to the exam rooms based on these lists, not in the order of sign-in.