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. Type in your name, address and other information in the boxes below. 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. When you've completed the test, click on the "submit answers" button at the bottom of this page. 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 textNameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.