Irrespective of the size of the waiting room, gone are the days of patients waiting in the front office. Not only would ” patient & dentist” have to ” keep up” precise timing of appointment, patient attender ( unless mandatory ) may have to be kept out of office.
Single Patient Waiting Is the way Forward
As patient inflow increases, the standard advisory should be: “Please wait in your vehicles in the parking area until called in.”
To ensure seamless operations, the front office must be fully staffed at all times. The office manager should be well-trained in conducting a brief travel and social history assessment, verifying the patient’s COVID-19 negative report, reassessing body temperature, and guiding them toward the treatment chamber—all while ensuring adherence to established disinfection protocols, including wearing a patient gown.
The waiting area should be minimalistic, restricted to a television screen for patient engagement, thereby reducing unnecessary contact with surfaces. Furthermore, before the arrival of the next patient, the front office and waiting area must be thoroughly disinfected.
Lastly, digital payments should be prioritized to eliminate potential contamination through currency exchange.
More in the next blog.