Family and specialty practices: Targeted for success. A case study

Data, facts and instruments on the German health system

What it’s all about

The complexity of practice management, with its multiple interdependencies among action areas, makes it difficult for practice owners to determine starting points for change, whether to eliminate perceived deficiencies or to develop the practice. The Opportunity Radar© offers a simple solution.

The case

This was the approach taken by two general practitioners, among others, who worked together with their five medical assistants in a metropolitan location with a high density of competition. The physicians pursued a growth strategy for their business, but noticed that patient losses had been greater than gains for some time. In addition, hectic procedures and a poor working atmosphere characterized the working days, supplemented by a lot of overtime.

The result

By comparing the practice work with the best practice standard of practice management, the causes could be determined easily and immediately. The standard describes all regulations, instruments and behaviors of the practice management, which are necessary for a smoothly functioning work also under changing requirements. The Chancen-Radar© determined for the examined practice from the comparison an unused potential of scarcely 60%, since so far only 40% of the Best Practice catalog were actually used.

What became of it

Already on the aggregation level of the action areas of the practice management, the „construction sites“ of the practice became clearly recognizable. An action plan for change then automatically emerged via the associated detailed descriptions. By consistently eliminating shortcomings and systematically introducing unused best practices, the practice had an implementation score of 82% after just three quarters, was working efficiently and productively, was able to handle the targeted volume of work with significantly less effort, and also saw a positive change in its patient balance sheet.