Why Keeping Track of Your Practice Matters: A Beginner’s Guide to Tracking Your Success
Have you ever heard the saying “You can’t win if you don’t keep score”? Well, it’s not just true in sports—it applies to business too. Let me share a story with you. The other day, I had a chat with a fellow chiropractor who’d been in the game for years. But here’s the kicker—he never bothered keeping stats. Can you believe it? Instead, he relied on guesses and gut feelings to gauge how his practice was doing.
Now, as someone who mentors students entering the field, I always stress the importance of keeping records from day one. After all, if you don’t know where you’re at, how can you improve?
So, let’s get into it. What should you track? Well, let’s start with the basics:
- New Patients: It’s crucial to keep tabs on how many new patients you’re getting each week and month. This number tells you if your practice is growing or not.
- Patient Visits: Keeping count of how many patients come in gives you a good idea of how busy you are. Plus, it’s a key indicator of patient engagement.
- Patient Visit Average (PVA): Ever wondered how often your patients are coming in for care? PVA tells you just that. It’s the average number of visits each patient makes per month.
But hey, don’t stop there. Let’s dive a little deeper. Take a look at when patients tend to drop off and how you’re treating them. This can help you spot any issues and make improvements to keep them coming back.
Now, you might be wondering, why bother with all this record-keeping stuff? Well, it’s simple. Understanding your numbers lets you make smarter decisions for your practice. Whether it’s figuring out when to hire more staff or how to better serve your patients, your data has the answers.
So, don’t shy away from keeping track of your practice’s progress. If you’re not sure where to start or need some tips on how to analyze your data, just ask. Let’s work together to make your practice the best it can be!
Dr. Lowe