Practice facilities: Reception area

Just as "a theater begins with the cloakroom," practice begins with registration . Various important functions intersect here: patients register and receive information, the practice team welcomes visitors, makes appointments and takes calls, the doctors collect the documents, etc.

Information is also kept in the reception area - apart from patient files, addresses of clinics or rehabilitation centers, contact details of practices for further examinations and laboratories, etc

A place where patients and employees feel comfortable

The reception area is a kind of practice face. In a good practice, the patient should feel that he is in good hands right from the reception and that he is being properly cared for. He expects polite, friendly and competent support . However, this does not always work.

If there is a lack of time, the practice staff at the reception is often stressed and therefore appears unfriendly. As a study by pronova BKK shows, this is often one of the reasons for patients' negative practical experience . If a patient is also in pain and upset, they may react even more sensitively and need even more attention. Therefore, it should be checked regularly whether the processes in everyday practice show a need for optimization.

In addition, one should not forget that the reception area is a central workplace for the practice staff . This is where the practice assistants master everyday practice. Therefore, the reception area should be well thought out and set up in such a way that the staff has everything to hand and enjoys spending time here. Functional and ergonomic furniture, uniform and harmonious color style throughout the practice, sufficient light and space, necessary accessories are components of the reception area in a successful practice.

Reception area: furniture and accessories

The high-quality and ergonomic furniture is very important. The main point of a reception desk that divides and organizes space at once is a reception counter (or reception desk ). The counter does not have to be depressing, it must be optimal in terms of height and have an ergonomic table top and a sufficient number of shelves.

Table display systems are irreplaceable for order and quick finding of information by practice employees. Table or counter displays help to present the instructions and current practice information and to reduce patient inquiries.

A wall unit or a bookshelf behind the counter helps to keep the practice documentation in order. A comfortable mobile reception chair and murals with relaxing motifs complement the furnishings in the reception area.

Reception area: colors

The color palette of the reception should match the corporate design of the practice . In this way you increase the recognition value of the practice and contribute to the feel-good factor of the patients, so that they feel safe and in good hands.

For the practice design, you should choose a color combination that motivates the employees to work on the one hand, and on the other hand is not intrusive, but rather relaxing. It is optimal if the colors balance out or neutralize each other.

Doing everything in white isn't necessarily optimal and can look boring and too sterile. Some elements in light green or in the warm orange would convey refreshment and strength. A few wall pictures with a nature motif could form such "oases of colour".

Reception area: lighting

Proper lighting is very important. Not only for creating a friendly environment for patients, but also for creating a working atmosphere for staff. The rooms should be very bright and have as little shadow as possible.

The so-called vertical light illuminates the walls so that the reception area appears to be slightly larger and the faces of patients and practice staff "appear" particularly bright. The flat light with higher light intensity above the counter emphasizes the entire reception area. The use of side lighting of the counter and decorative lights gives the reception coziness and relaxation.

The patient gets to know the practice for the first time at reception. As is well known, there is no second chance to make a first impression, so you should approach the design and furnishing of the practice reception area very carefully and lovingly. So that there is a place where patients and employees feel comfortable.