Webmaster's note: This article originally appeared in The Farran Report February 1996, pp 10-11, and is reprinted with permission. For information on the The Farran Report, send email to the editor.

I recently read something which I thought was interesting: "Take any hundred dentists at the start of their working careers and follow them for 40 years until they reach retirement age, and here's what you'll find, according to the Social Security Adminsitration:

Only one will be wealthy.
Four will be financially secure.
Five will continue working because they have to.
36 will be dead.
54 will be dead broke, dependent on social security checks, relatives, friends, and charity for a minimum standard of living.

That's 5% successful, 95% unsuccessful. Which group will you be in? Are you where you want to be in your practice? Did you know that your hidden assets are worth at least as much as the ones that you are aware of? You literally have thousands of dollars sitting in your file cabinets instead of in the bank where it belongs. The "hidden assets" are diagnosed treatment that has not been completed because no one tracked it or followed up on it.

Doctors and Dentist - Increase your Income - Here is how you can do it!!! A few years ago, our own practice went through a major overhaul. We replaced the majority of our staff members and started delving into why our practice was not more successful. Although we were grossing close to $700,000 per year, I was still frustrated and stressed out because things were still not where I wanted them to be. I had a large patient base and knew that I had diagnosed a lot of work. But the patients just were not coming in to get it done because no one ever invited them to do so.

So I went to the computer and asked it to report how much work was diagnosed but uncompleted. I almost died on the spot when I learned I had more than $500,000 worth of uncompleted dental work sitting in my file cabinet.

We immediately put a girl on the list, and discovered another problem. Many of those patients had been in to have the work completed, but the information had never been backed out of the computer. We knew we could no longer trust the information on that computer unless we also verified it against the chart.

This is how The Amazing Patient Tracking System evolved. The system consists of a 3 part NCR white card, which when used consistently will drive your practice through the stratosphere. It took my practice from $700,000 to over $1 million in one year by letting me work smarter, not harder.

The system includes everything you need to get started immediately. It includes a simple, easy-to-understand, and short manual to guide you through the use of the system.

Every patient needing continuing care has a white card. The card originates in the operatory where the work is being diagnosed. The card is filled out by the assistant or hygienist, and the only thing that goes on it is the treatment the doctor and patient want to do at the next visit.

The card notes the amount of time required for each procedure--both operatory and doctor time. This allows doctor to be scheduled in another operatory, producing dentistry instead of sitting idle in his office while his assistant prepares the patient for him.

So why does the card work so well? Dan Kennedy said, "Don't try to sell the whole elephant. Just a bite at a time." We don't put the entire treatment outline on the card--that's what the chart is for. We only put down the very next treatment. You may have a $10,000 case in your chair. But if you present the whole elephant, the patient will get overwhelmed, and you may never see them again. Used, properly, the card allows us to track what they still need done, so we never lose the patient until their treatment is complete.

Next, the patient and the white card goes up front to see the practice's financial secretary. The treatement and the cost are discussed. Financial arrangements are aggreed upon and written on the white card. The patient signs the card and goes to the scheduling desk to schedule their next appointment. Their appointment time is written on the card, the patient gets the top copy, and the card goes in the file for that day and month.

If the patient doesn't schedule at that time, but they would like to come around December, the card is put in the December file, and when December comes, we call them and get them scheduled.

When the day of their appointment arrives, we pull the card and place it on their chart, not in where it can get lost. If they cancel or no-show, the card is placed back into the file, and they willcontinue to get calls until they finally have the work done. The patient will never get lost in a file cabinet because the card stays in the system file box at the front desk.

The card will also:

Help you set and easily make daily goals. I currently have mine set for $7,000 per day.
Track all of your diagnosed treatment until it is done.
Never lose a patient through the cracks.
Eliminate financial misunderstandings.
Double your net if used properly and consistently.
Smooth out your schedule and decrease stress.

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