GuidesFinance
The 6 numbers every clinic owner watches
What to look at every week to make better decisions.
Half an hour, once a week
You don’t need a dashboard with fifty indicators. With six numbers, always checked on the same day, you know how your clinic is doing and where to focus next week.
What matters isn’t one week’s number but the trend: whether it goes up, down or holds. That’s why it helps to always write them in the same place and compare them with previous weeks.
The schedule numbers
1. Schedule occupancy. Of all your doctors’ available hours, how many had an appointment? It tells you whether you need more patients or whether it’s time to open more hours.
2. Kept appointments. Of the appointments booked, how many were seen? If many are missed, the work is in reminders and confirmations, not in finding more patients.
The money numbers
3. Collected versus billed. What you billed is the work done; what you collected is what came in. The difference is your receivables, from patients and insurers. If it grows every week, it’s time to strengthen collections.
4. Expenses versus income. Add up what went out in the week or month (lab, materials, payroll, rent) and compare it with what you collected. It’s the simplest way to know whether the clinic is making a profit.
The growth numbers
5. New patients. How many people came for the first time? Also note where they came from: referral, Google, social media, an insurer. That tells you which channel to nurture.
6. Accepted quotes. Of the treatment plans you presented, how many did the patient accept? If this number is low, look at how quotes are explained and whether pending ones get followed up.
Your dashboard on one sheet
Write the six numbers in a simple table, one column per week:
| Number | How it’s calculated | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Occupancy | Booked hours ÷ available hours | Whether demand is short or over |
| Kept appointments | Appointments seen ÷ appointments booked | Whether reminders work |
| Collected vs billed | Collected − billed | How receivables are doing |
| Expenses vs income | Collected − expenses | Whether the clinic makes a profit |
| New patients | First visits in the period | Whether your marketing attracts |
| Accepted quotes | Accepted ÷ presented | Whether your plans convince |
From numbers to decisions
- High occupancy and many kept appointments: time to think about another doctor or more hours.
- Low occupancy: boost new-patient flow and check-ups for your current patients.
- Receivables growing: review instalments, balances and insurance claims.
- Low accepted quotes: practise the explanation with photos and clear payment options.
How to read them well
- Always compare similar periods: a week with a holiday doesn’t compare with a normal week.
- Look at the trend over several weeks before drawing conclusions from just one.
- Always use the same source for each number, so changes are real and not a calculation quirk.
- Share the numbers with your team: when everyone knows them, everyone pushes in the same direction.
Summary
Six numbers, half an hour a week and always in the same place: occupancy, kept appointments, collected versus billed, expenses versus income, new patients and accepted quotes. With them, every decision in your clinic has a clear reason.