Establishing a student health all-appointment system: making the transition from a walk-in approach

The authors offer a process for critically evaluating a walk-in system for patient and care provider satisfaction, for developing goals for a new patient flow system, and for designing and implementing an appointment system at a student health center. Their suggestions are based on their recent experience in making the transition from a walk-in approach to an all-appointment system in the general medicine division of the university's student health service. They give specifics of the appointment system established at their facility, including an explanation of the weekly appointment schedule, the monthly duty schedule, and a strong triage system. Key areas for consideration in converting to an all-appointment system, such as reeducational techniques for various staffing responsibilities and strategies for marketing a new system to patients, are outlined in detail.