Avoid sign-in sheets, especially the kind that ask for the patient's chief complaint. An alternative is to have numbered pads printed. The patient signs the top sheet, tears it off and gives it to your receptionist. Make sure your reception area is spotless. Cleanliness in the reception area is extremely important.
People seek to confirm their first impressions.
If the reception area furnishings are stained, patients will be checking to see if your examination room equipment is dirty, too. Monitor your reception area materials. Also keep in mind that the tremendous amount of medical information in consumer magazines creates expectations for patients. A patient who read that article while waiting for you to do a breast exam might have wondered about your competence if you didn't do the exam exactly as described in the article. Consider the impressions that signs in your office create.