Production Per Provider

We are not suggesting that every provider works at the maximum level or be equal to others, but it is good to know the facts. It is often found that there may be a provider who could benefit from additional support or training, or that the practice needs to understand the limitations of that provider. For example, a recent analysis of one practice found that the 71-year-old senior doctor was slowing down and expanding the length of his appointments. Practice production had recently declined slightly, and it was discovered that the decline was proportional to the longer appointments and lower patient volume by the senior doctor. This was completely acceptable to the practice; however, it also stimulated and motivated the two other doctors to increase their efficiency to make up for the production decline without asking the senior doctor to work any faster. This was an excellent solution, but one that would not have been considered, or thought about if production per provider had not been measured.

In other cases, practices will have to make other adjustments. Suggestions to enhance the production of doctors who are producing lower than their capability include better training for dental assistants to accept more delegation, enhancing technology, and, most importantly, revising the schedule. If the schedules are not periodically analyzed and revised, doctors will not be able to produce at higher levels.

The best way to address your schedule is to perform procedural time studies. This involves timing each procedure 10 times to develop a composite average of how much time is usually needed. In most cases you will find that you need less time and by using less time, patient volume can increase without rushing. This will directly increase hourly, daily, and annual practice production. Only by analyzing the production per provider will the practice be able to understand what the potential is for each doctor and hygienist to help create the highest level of practice efficiency.¹