New patient checklist for the front desk

This list covers the admin side only: booking, logistics, forms, coverage and follow-up. Your clinicians decide what clinical questions to ask and write any health forms themselves. Replace the [brackets] with your details and delete any line that doesn’t apply to your clinic.

Patient: [Name] · Visit: [Day, time] · Practitioner: [Practitioner] · Booked by: [Staff name]

1. Name, phone number and email recorded correctly, and read back to the patient.
2. Visit type is marked as a new patient visit, with the right length of time booked.
3. Practitioner, day, time and address repeated to the patient.
4. Patient told how they will receive the confirmation: [text / email].
5. Confirmation sent right away, with your cancellation policy in one line. See No show policy template
6. Consent to send texts or emails recorded where the law requires it. See /faq/do-i-need-consent-to-email-patients-casl-and-can-spam/

7. Photo ID and [health card / insurance card].
8. Any referral, claim number or authorization letter, if your funding rules need one.
9. A list of questions they want to ask, if they like.
10. Clothing that suits the visit, as your practitioner advises: [what to wear].
11. Payment method for [fee for first visit], if payment is due on the day.

12. Street address and entrance: [Address, entrance and floor].
13. Parking: [parking note, such as the lot, street parking or nearby car park].
14. Public transport: [nearest stop or station].
15. Accessibility: [level entrance, lift, accessible washroom].
16. Map link included in the confirmation: [Google Maps link].
17. Arrival time given: please arrive [5 to 10] minutes early.

18. Forms link sent with the confirmation: [Forms link].
19. Patient told roughly how long the forms take: [length].
20. Privacy notice linked, with a plain line on how you use their details: [Privacy notice link].
21. Option offered to complete the forms at the clinic, or by paper, if that suits them better.
22. Forms checked as received [one day / two days] before the visit. If not, one reminder is sent.

Plans differ. You can help them ask the right questions, then they or you call the insurer. Only the patient can say what their plan says, so never promise coverage.

23. Does my plan cover [physiotherapy / chiropractic / dental / eye care / massage]?
24. Is there a yearly limit or a limit on the number of visits, and how much of it is left?
25. Do I need a referral or a prescription from a doctor?
26. Does the plan pay the clinic directly, or do I pay and claim it back?
27. Is there a deductible or a co-payment?
28. Does the practitioner need to be registered with the plan, and does [Practitioner] qualify?
29. Is there a different rule for a work injury or a motor vehicle claim, and who do I contact for it?

Note on this clinic’s approach: [We do / do not] bill insurers directly. [Billing note].

30. Reminder scheduled for [two days / one day] before.
31. Reminder includes day, time, practitioner, address, parking and the forms link.
32. Patient can reply to confirm and has a link or number to change the time.
33. No answer: one call, then one text. Note it on the booking and stop.

Sample reminder:

“Hi [Name], this is [Clinic name]. A reminder of your visit on [day] at [time] with [Practitioner] at [Address]. Please bring [what to bring] and fill in your forms here: [Forms link]. To change your time: [Booking link] or call [Phone].”

34. New patient greeted by name and shown where to wait.
35. Forms status checked, and any missing ones handed over.
36. ID and coverage details checked. Record only what your privacy policy allows.
37. Patient told roughly how long the wait is, and who they will see.

38. Next visit offered before the patient leaves, as the practitioner recommends. Offer two times, not an open question.
39. Next visit booked, and the patient told how to change it.
40. Confirmation of the next visit sent: [text / email].
41. Receipt or claim form handed over or emailed.
42. If they don’t book now, note a follow-up date: [date] and ask how they prefer to be reached.
43. Ask once for a Google review, the same way you ask everyone. See Review request scripts

If new patients keep arriving without forms, in the wrong place or unsure about cost, the confirmation message is usually the first thing to fix. Your website’s first-visit page should say the same things. See Clinic website checklist and Front desk scripts

Want a second pair of eyes? Claim your marketing audit and we’ll look at your booking path and confirmation messages, then send you a short written list of what to fix first.

Print footer: Packed Book · hello@packedbook.com · 2160 Hwy 7, Ste 6 #1515, Vaughan, ON L4K 1W6, Canada