The Practicon Viewpoint by Ann Page Griffin

NUMBER OF ACTIVE PATIENTS? WHY IS KNOWING THAT NUMBER KEY TO A WELL-MANAGED PRACTICE?

In my 30-plus years of management consulting with hundreds of dentists, fewer than 20% of my clients could tell me the number of active patients in their practice; that is, until our initial consultation visit was completed. After that, they knew not only the number, but they understood the significance of that total and how to define an active patient.

The rule of thumb for defining an active patient in a general practice is one who has been seen for treatment or recare within the last 24 months, not including single visit emergencies who never return. Pediatric dentists count those seen within the last 18 months, also excluding single visit emergencies.

Why do you need to monitor the number of active patients? Consider these reasons:

• An active patient count tells the dentist if the practice is growing or declining on a continuing basis. No matter how diligent the marketing efforts, the future of your practice depends on not losing patients through the ever-present "cracks."
• The number of active patients can alert the dentist when it is time to hire another dentist or an additional hygienist, or to install an additional treatment or hygiene chair.
• The patient count is a key factor in practice evaluation in preparation for a partner buy-in, a sale at retirement, or when facing a sudden health or other crisis.
• The number of active patients is a statistic required in analyzing the effectiveness of your recare system. Are a mere 30% to 40% of your patients enrolled in the recare system, the life blood of a dental practice, or is the recommended level achieved, i.e., are 75% to 80% of patients return regularly for hygiene appointments?

In my next posting, I will review the method for checking the effectiveness of your recare system and the huge positive impact the 75% to 80% enrollment of active patients can have on your practice production and income.