Checklist template

Front office and patient scheduling for dental practices

A ready-to-use checklist with 109 items in 6 sections, covering Greeting, Scheduling, Insurance, Recall system, Check-out, Reception area. Use it as-is in InspectLoop, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 109 Items
  • 89 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 119 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Greeting 17 items

  1. A patient arriving during the visit was acknowledged within 30 seconds of reaching the front desk Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The front desk employee greeted the arriving patient by name after checking the day's schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  3. A test call made during the visit was answered within three rings Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The phone greeting states the practice name and the employee's first name Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Callers are asked for permission before they are placed on hold Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Voicemail left overnight was returned before 10 a.m. today Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Callers placed on hold are given an update within 60 seconds Yes / No 1 pt
  8. New patients on today's schedule received their intake paperwork electronically before the appointment Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Returning patients are asked at arrival whether their medical history or medications have changed Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Each patient is marked as arrived in the practice management software at check-in Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The clinical team is told of an arrival through the software or the light system, not by calling down the hall Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Patients still waiting 10 minutes past the appointment time are given an update by the front desk Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Minutes the observed patient waited past the appointment time before being seated Number
  14. A conversation about treatment or a balance held at the desk cannot be overheard from the seating area Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Patients check in without seeing other patients' names (no open sign-in sheet) Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The front desk is staffed throughout opening hours, including the lunch period Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Welcome given to the patients observed Rating
    • Prompt, by name and unhurried 5 pts
    • Polite but slow or impersonal 3 pts
    • Patients left unacknowledged 1 pt

2. Scheduling 21 items

  1. The schedule follows the block template set by company policy (new patients, crown preparations, emergencies) Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Time is held on each doctor's schedule every day for emergency patients Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Unused emergency time is released for booking at the hour set by the practice Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Appointment lengths follow the written procedure time guide of each provider Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Each appointment on today's schedule shows the planned procedure and the tooth or area Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Patients needing premedication or carrying a medical alert are flagged on the schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Appointments are confirmed by text, email or phone two business days ahead Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Tomorrow's unconfirmed appointments were phoned today Yes / No 1 pt
  9. A short-notice list of patients who can come in early is kept in the software Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Openings from today's cancellations were offered to patients on the short-notice list Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Each broken appointment is recorded in the patient's record with its reason Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Patients with repeated missed appointments are handled according to the written broken-appointment policy Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The unscheduled treatment report is worked every week, with each call noted in the patient's record Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The morning huddle took place today with the day's schedule displayed or printed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. A caller asking for a new-patient visit is offered at least two appointment choices Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Days until the next available new-patient appointment Number
  17. Days until the next available hygiene appointment Number
  18. Unfilled hygiene hours on today's schedule Number
  19. Unfilled doctor hours on today's schedule Number
  20. Appointments broken or missed last week Number
  21. How well today's schedule is built Rating
    • Full, balanced and running on time 5 pts
    • Gaps or double-booking in places 3 pts
    • Large gaps or running far behind 1 pt

3. Insurance 18 items

  1. Insurance eligibility is verified for every insured patient at least two business days before the appointment Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The verification note records the annual maximum remaining Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The verification note records the deductible already met Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Frequency limits for cleanings, exams and bitewings are compared with the patient's history before a hygiene visit Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Waiting periods and missing-tooth clauses are checked before major treatment is booked Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The insurance card or member number is scanned into the record at the first visit Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Patients are asked at each visit whether their dental coverage has changed Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The subscriber's name, date of birth and employer are recorded for each plan Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Primary and secondary plans are entered in the correct order for patients with two plans Yes / No 1 pt
  10. A written estimate showing the plan's portion and the patient's portion is given before treatment starts Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A copy of the estimate signed by the patient is saved in the record Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Pre-treatment estimates are requested from the plan for the procedures listed in company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Pre-treatment estimates awaiting an answer are tracked on a list with the date sent Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Patients whose plan is out of network are told so before the appointment day Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Patients without coverage are told about the practice's membership or savings plan, where one is offered Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The fee schedule of each contracted plan is loaded in the practice management software Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Insured patients on today's schedule whose eligibility was not verified Number
  18. Insurance verification for today's schedule Rating
    • Every patient verified with full details 5 pts
    • Verified but details incomplete 3 pts
    • Several patients not verified 1 pt

4. Recall system 18 items

  1. Hygiene patients are booked for their next recall visit before they leave the practice Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Hygiene patients seen yesterday Number
  3. Hygiene patients seen yesterday who left with the next recall visit booked Number
  4. The recall interval in the software matches the interval set by the hygienist or dentist (3, 4 or 6 months) Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Periodontal maintenance patients are on their own recall type, separate from routine cleanings Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Recall reminders go out on the written sequence set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Each patient's preferred reminder method (text, email or phone) is recorded Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The past-due recall report is run at least monthly Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Date the past-due recall report was last run Date
  10. Active patients more than 6 months past due for recall Number
  11. Each past-due recall call is noted in the patient's record with the date and the outcome Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Patients not reached after the number of attempts set by company policy are sent a letter or an email Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Patients not seen for the period set by company policy are inactivated rather than left on the recall list Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Family members due for recall are offered appointments on the same day Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Wrong phone numbers and bounced emails found during recall calls are corrected in the record Yes / No 1 pt
  16. One employee is named as responsible for recall, with a named backup Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The reappointment rate is reviewed at a team meeting each month Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Follow-up of patients past due for recall Rating
    • Worked weekly with notes 5 pts
    • Worked irregularly 3 pts
    • Not worked 1 pt

5. Check-out 17 items

  1. The clinical employee tells the front desk the next visit's procedure and the time it needs, in person or on a routing slip Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Today's completed procedures are posted before the patient leaves Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Patients needing several visits for one treatment plan leave with every remaining visit booked in sequence Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The next appointment is booked before the patient leaves the desk Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The patient's portion for today's visit is requested at check-out Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The walk-out statement or reminder card given to the patient shows the next appointment date and time Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Written post-operative instructions are handed to patients after an extraction or surgery Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Prescriptions are sent to the pharmacy before the patient leaves Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Referrals to a specialist are entered on a referral log with the date Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The referral log shows whether the specialist's report has come back Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Treatment plans are presented in a private room or consultation area, not at the open desk Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Payment and financing options are explained from the company's written sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Patients who leave without booking recommended treatment go on the unscheduled treatment list with a follow-up date Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Patients are asked for feedback or sent a review request under the company program Yes / No 1 pt
  15. At closing yesterday, every appointment was marked completed, broken or rescheduled Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Minutes the observed check-out took Number
  17. Handover from the clinical team to the front desk Rating
    • Clear for every patient observed 5 pts
    • Missing details for some patients 3 pts
    • Front desk left to guess 1 pt

6. Reception area 18 items

  1. The opening hours posted at the entrance match the hours on the practice's online listing Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The door was unlocked and the desk staffed at the posted opening time today Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Seating covers the number of patients booked in the busiest hour, with nobody standing Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Check-in tablets are charged and working Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Tablets, clipboards and pens are wiped after each patient Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The path from the entrance to the desk is clear of furniture and wide enough for a wheelchair Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A patient using a wheelchair can complete paperwork at a lowered counter or with a clipboard Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Toys in the children's corner are wipeable and cleaned on the posted schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The patient restroom check sheet is initialed for today Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Notices that must be displayed to patients are posted as required by local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No patient records, routing slips or schedules are left where patients can read them Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Paper containing patient information goes into a locked shredding bin Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The card terminal at the desk is working Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The document scanner at the desk is working Yes / No 1 pt
  15. A printed or offline copy of tomorrow's schedule is available in case the software goes down Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Name of the office manager Short text
  17. Overall performance of the front office Rating
    • Strong 5 pts
    • Partial 3 pts
    • Weak 1 pt
  18. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the InspectLoop template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In InspectLoop you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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