Idea Exchange: Card-carrying veterinary team members

When doctors are in an exam room and they have another appointment waiting, an assistant will knock on the door, enter and place a fluorescent green laminated notecard on the counter behind them. If more than one appointment is waiting, the technician will use a fluorescent orange card instead. This is a nondisruptive signal to the doctor to wrap things up, and if they're with a particularly talkative client, they can grab the notecard and say something like, "It looks like I have a phone call from the referral center about a patient. I'm going to go take the call and let the assistant finish up the appointment. Please let her know if you have any more questions.”

We garnered this tip from a veterinary assistant who's now pursuing a DVM degree. You can submit your own tip here.