Queue Management
Queue Management
The Queue is the real-time patient flow management system. It tracks patients from arrival through consultation, allows nurses to record vitals, and lets doctors see who is next.
Opening the Queue
Go to Queue in the sidebar. The page shows all patients currently in the queue for today.
Queue Entry Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Appointment | Patient arrived for a scheduled appointment |
| Walk-in | Patient arrived without a prior appointment |
| Follow-up | Patient returning for a follow-up visit |
Queue Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Waiting | Patient has arrived and is in line |
| In Progress | Patient is currently being seen |
| Completed | Visit is finished |
| Cancelled | Patient left or entry was removed |
| No-show | Patient did not arrive |
Adding a Patient to the Queue
From an Appointment
When a patient with a scheduled appointment arrives:
- Open Queue or Appointments.
- Find the appointment and click Check In.
- The patient is added to the queue with a queue number.
Manual Entry (Walk-in)
- On the Queue page, click Add to Queue.
- Search for and select the patient (register them first if new).
- Select a doctor (optional).
- Select the queue type (Walk-in, Follow-up).
- Click Add.
A queue number is assigned automatically in sequential order.
Filtering the Queue
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Doctor | Show only the queue for a specific doctor |
| Queue Type | Filter by Appointment, Walk-in, or Follow-up |
| Status | Active (Waiting + In Progress), or All statuses |
| Search | Find a patient by name |
Recording Vitals
Nurses record vital signs before the patient sees the doctor.
- Find the patient in the queue.
- Click Record Vitals (or the vitals icon on the queue row).
- Fill in the available fields:
| Vital | Unit |
|---|---|
| Blood Pressure (BP) | mmHg (e.g., 120/80) |
| Heart Rate (HR) | beats per minute |
| Respiratory Rate (RR) | breaths per minute |
| Temperature | °C |
| Oxygen Saturation (SpO₂) | % |
| Height | cm |
| Weight | kg |
| BMI | Calculated automatically from height and weight |
- Click Save Vitals.
Vitals are attached to the queue entry and become available in the clinical visit record.
Updating Queue Status
As the patient moves through the clinic:
- Find the patient in the queue.
- Click the Status control on their row.
- Select the new status (e.g., In Progress, Completed).
Marking a patient as In Progress signals to all staff that the patient is currently being seen.
Priority Assignment
For urgent cases, you can bump a patient to higher priority:
- Open the queue entry.
- Set the Priority field to High or Urgent.
- Save.
High-priority patients are displayed with a visual indicator and sorted toward the top.
Queue Display Board
A public-facing queue display is available for waiting rooms at /api/queue/display. It shows queue numbers and statuses without requiring a login.
Ask your administrator for the display URL and configure it on a screen in your waiting area.
Tips
- Nurses should record vitals before marking a patient as In Progress so the doctor sees the values when opening the visit.
- The queue resets at midnight. Only today's entries are shown by default.
- Walk-in appointments automatically appear in the queue — you do not need to manually add them if created through the Appointments page with the walk-in flag enabled.