Open access scheduling

Slate on what doctor’s offices should learn from the restaurant business:

Successful restaurants understand that long waits lead to no-shows and lost income, which is why many of the most popular places don’t allow reservations until at most, say, a month in advance. In the restaurant business, deftly balancing supply and demand enables most places to take same-day reservations. Likewise, doctors should stop deferring for weeks and months what, with proper planning, can be done today.