It’s important to understand how many patients are connected to your practice, and today I’m going to break down two metrics that will help you get a handle on that: Active Patient and Active Hygiene Patient Count.
Your Active Patient Count refers to the total number of unique patients who’ve had any type of visit within the past 18 months; it’s your entire pool of engaged patients who consider your office their dental home. The benchmark we like to see is between 1,200 and 1,500 active patients per full-time equivalent provider.
Your Active Hygiene Patient Count is similar, but only refers to those patients that have had a hygiene visit. It’s a subset of your active patient base, and it gives you even more insight, because patients who stay current with hygiene visits are more likely to accept treatment and refer others. I like to see this metric above 85%, because it shows you have a strong hygiene program with patients that value preventative care and systems that function correctly.
If you run your numbers and see your metrics are below the benchmarks, implement some countermeasures to improve your active patient count:
- A reactivation system for inactive patients
- Use your morning huddle to identify family members of active patients you can recapture
- Focus on reappointing patients for their next visit before they walk out the door
Also, consider your business model when evaluating these metrics, because the higher your Annual Patient Value, the fewer active patients you need to maintain profitability!
These metrics are a simple, but powerful tool — improvement is low-cost, but it yields incredible results for your practice’s growth!
