An organized waiting room automatically looks cleaner, more inviting and an overall better place to be. If you are struggling with redesigning the layout of your reception area, follow these tips to help you through the process.

Study the Flow of Traffic

Whether they are heading to the bathroom, out the door, to the reception desk or towards your treatment area, patients need a clear and open pathway to move throughout your clinic. Design a waiting room layout that allows for a smooth flow of traffic without causing confusion or creating any bottleneck. You also want to make sure that areas (bathrooms, reception, exits, etc.) are clearly marked. Nothing is more stress inducing for patients than entering a clinic and not knowing where to go and who to speak with. Make your waiting room as easy to navigate and inviting as possible.

Arrange Furniture to Maximize Seating

There is quite possibly no greater waiting room sin than not having enough seating to accommodate your patients. You should always have more chairs than you need, just in case you fall behind and more people are forced to wait. If you are working within a small area, try arranging your clinic furniture in ways that allow you to fit the greatest amount of chairs possible. While coffee tables, end tables and decorative pieces are nice to have, chairs, couches, etc. should always be your priority.

Carve Out an Area for the Kids

Most parent will tell you that everything is harder when you have a young child with you. Getting them to sit quietly for any amount of time seems to be a futile effort, which is why you should have a designated place for children to play (hopefully quietly) that isn’t stuck right in the middle of your waiting room. If you are looking at the layout of your room, which area seems to be off to the side and away from most of the foot traffic? This is the perfect place to set up a small area with toys that will keep waiting children preoccupied.

Get Rid of Clutter

Clutter makes a room appear smaller and less comfortable. While it’s nice to have some magazines and other entertainment essential about, they should be well organized to make the room more appealing. Look for coffee tables that have magazine rack built into them so you can keep the tabletops clear. You can also purchase wall-hanging magazine racks to keep your waiting room clutter free. Finally, consider mounting your television on the wall to save space.

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