Appearance
Checking patients out
Check-out closes the visit. It ties together the three things that have to happen before a patient leaves: the documentation is done, the next appointment is booked, and the charges are recorded.
Before the patient reaches the desk
Check-out works best when the provider has completed the Plan screen while the patient was still in the treatment room. Those Plan entries drive two things automatically:
- the visit status — when, and how often, the patient should return
- the charges for today's visit, which appear on the Transactions screen
Without them, front-desk staff have to work out both by hand, which is what fee slips and travel cards used to be for.
Why this matters beyond convenience
When charges are generated from what the provider documented, the billing and the clinical record always agree. That consistency is your best protection in an audit.
Checking a patient out
- Go to the Signed In Patient tab.
- Open the patient's Actions menu and choose Check Out.
ChiroPad then checks whether the patient has another appointment scheduled:
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| No future appointment | The Appointment Scheduler opens so you can book one. Save it, and check-out continues to Transactions. |
| Already has an appointment | Check-out goes straight to the Transactions screen. |
On the Transactions screen, collect and enter any payment, then save. The patient's account closes and the desk is ready for the next person.
Scheduling before they walk out
The appointment prompt is deliberate. Booking the next visit while the patient is still standing at the desk is the single biggest factor in patient retention — far more effective than calling them later. Setting an appointment is not mandatory, but skipping it should be the exception.
If your practice does not bill through ChiroPad
Check-out returns to the Documents screen instead, so the provider can finish the SOAP note or close the file.
Printing the patient's upcoming appointments
On the Transactions screen, Future Appointments shows every appointment the patient has booked and prints the list for them — a useful handout for patients on a multi-visit plan.