Analysis - Survival Strategies

Analyze & Clarify Your Needs

Take the Practice Vital Signs Analysis
Instructions:
This test will give us a thorough look at your business. There are 100 questions and will take approximately 15 minutes.
1. Type in your name, address and other information in the boxes below.
2. Read each question carefully then answer by clicking on one of the 3 radio buttons. Yes means Yes or Mostly Yes. Maybe means Maybe, neither Yes nor No. No means No or Mostly No.
3. When you've completed the test, click on the "submit answers" button at the bottom of this page.
4. We will contact you with the results via fax or e-mail.
Name*
Email*
Phone*
Are you the owner?*
- Yes
- No
Questionnaire (All required)
1. I always pay myself a regular salary or draw.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
2. I easily hire good clinical and office staff when I need them.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
3. My referral base is threatened by competition.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
4. My Collections people get money in fast with few write-offs.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
5. Our quality of care is better than other clinics in the area.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
6. We do our own outcome studies and fine-tune to align our services with the expectations of carriers and referral sources.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
7. We have good relationships with referring doctors' front office staff and can easily get appointments to see the doctors.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
8. There are things in my life that are beyond my ability to cope.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
9. Owners have the right to require base levels of production from their staff.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
10. It's ok with me if I don't meet objectives I've set.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
11. Our profit margin is less this quarter than last.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
12. Some of my employees don't understand how their positions affect others in the practice.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
13. The needs and wants of my referral sources are continually clarified, understood and fulfilled.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
14. Patients sometimes complain about their accounts.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
15. Treatments are given on time so patients aren't kept waiting.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
16. Referral source complaints are addressed, handled and used as an opportunity to improve service and staff.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
17. Managed care organizations give us the run-around when we try to get appointments or make applications.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
18. I lose at least one night's sleep a week worrying.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
19. Even if I disagree, I will change my mind to avoid conflict.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
20. My objectives are clear and I'm going to achieve them.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
21. We are experiencing cash flow problems.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
22. New staff are gotten producing quickly at a viable level.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
23. I effectively educate doctors to increase their referrals.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
24. I regularly review accounts for aging and collections problems.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
25. The lack of certain equipment really holds us back.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
26. Staff reviews always raise morale and productivity.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
27. Patient surveys are done to direct our marketing.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
28. I "roller coaster" (go up and down) emotionally.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
29. A patient's progress in treatment is really his own responsibility, not ours.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
30. I find it uncomfortable controlling my staff & patients.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
31. Major debts or legal situations are looming and worry me.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
32. One or more staff asks for solutions to problems they should be handling themselves.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
33. We routinely send out patient newsletters or other promotion.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
34. Our credit rating is excellent.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
35. We sometimes get complaints from patients or referral sources.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
36. I have a staff member(s) who craves "stroking" or reassurances.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
37. There is someone in the practice whose main job it is to ensure we have a consistent flow of new patients.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
38. There is someone in my life who holds me back.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
39. If a staff member isn't productive, it might help to raise his/her salary.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
40. Anything an "expert" could tell me about my practice, I probably already know.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
41. I might have to let staff go to balance the budget.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
42. We'd be more productive if there were fewer interruptions.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
43. We have an organized program to educate patients and to stimulate referrals of their friends and family.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
44. Payroll is both accurate and on time.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
45. No one in the clinic can handle patients as well as I can.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
46. We have gotten complaints from referral sources.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
47. Promotion for new patients is frequently unpredictable.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
48. There is someone I have to be careful of not to upset.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
49. My decisions are based on the good of the practice rather than an individual's feelings.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
50. Most people who offer help actually have a hidden agenda.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
51. Managed healthcare may put me out of business.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
52. My staff follow orders without grumbling.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
53. We are able to get patients to personally pay for care if they need more treatments than their insurance allows.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
54. Patient co-pays and deductibles are collected at the time of service or in the same week.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
55. When I'm absent from the clinic, quality of service suffers.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
56. All staff members continually upgrade their level of understanding and education with regard to their positions.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
57. When I approach referral sources, I feel like a salesperson.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
58. I frequently get sick
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
59. I agonize for weeks when I have to fire someone.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
60. I want my practice to remain pretty much the same size.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
61. Income is trending upwards over the last year.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
62. Cancellations and no-shows are higher than I'd like.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
63. The overall dollars-per-patient are increasing.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
64. I review financial reports monthly and use them to fine-tune my practice.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
65. Clinical staff care for the "whole person" and our patients comment favorably about it.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
66. I train and apprentice staff into senior positions systematically.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
67. Quality of care should speak for itself, so I shouldn't have to ask people to refer to me.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
68. There is a major problem in my life or practice.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
69. I find it difficult to "tackle" staff on some subjects.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
70. "Outside help" might improve some areas of the practice.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
71. I supplement my practice or my salary with outside funding.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
72. Front office and clinical staff get into conflicts.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
73. We have an up-to-date database on our patients.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
74. Insurance claims are rejected/returned for documentation.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
75. One or more staff has poor rapport with patients.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
76. Every patient is interviewed prior to discharge to ensure he/she has achieved his/her goals and is satisfied.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
77. We have poor success with direct mail and advertising.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
78. Whether or not it's a struggle, private practice is rewarding.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
79. One shouldn't really invade a staff member's privacy even if his/her problems are adversely affecting the practice.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
80. I learned all I need to know about practice management and marketing in my formal schooling.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
81. Solvency (Cash versus Bills) is better now than a year ago.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
82. I manage subjectively more than objectively.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
83. One referral source sends the majority of our patients.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
84. I control spending and there is never a surprise bill.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
85. Scheduling problems, missing supplies or other poor coordination sometimes affect good care in my clinic.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
86. We formally assess quality of both front office and clinic.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
87. We have a consistently effective call-back program for patients.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
88. This practice is not as much fun as it once was.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
89. I keep objective, graphed statistics on the vital functions of the practice.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
90. I've reached the point in my practice where I'm demanding improvement, i.e., the situation must improve.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
91. I worry about the debt load of the business.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
92. I'm aware of or have observed back-stabbing in this practice.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
93. We'd be in deep trouble if a key referral source or managed care contract cut us out.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
94. I'm tied down to high base wages for staff, rather than a low base with incentives/bonuses that reward productivity.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
95. Our fees and average length of treatment plans align with referral source expectations.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
96. I know how to objectively monitor quality of care, and do so.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
97. When I visit potential referral sources, I consistently get new patients.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
98. I'm concerned illness or accidents may affect me.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
99. My staff would rebel if I measured their production by statistics.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
100. The solutions I already have will handle my problems in the practice.
- Yes
- Maybe
- No
Type the text

Analyze & Clarify Your Needs

Take the Practice Vital Signs Analysis

Instructions: