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Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 3/2016 38 practice management Why Practice Management? ByDr.EhabHeikal,Egypt Historically, dentistry has been a closely regulated field in terms of management, marketing and busi- ness ethics. Dentists were educated to achieve one goal—clinical excel- lence.Thenotionofmarketingaclin- ic, selling services or even discussing idealbusinessmodelsandprofitabil- ity simply were not (and in the ma- jority of Universities, is still not) part of the curriculum, as some dentists felt these concepts somehow de- tracted from the professionalism of theindustry. As a dentist, I understand and appre- ciate that some dentists find a focus on dental management, marketing or business efficiency to be contrary to achieving clinical excellence. However, in today’s world, I believe clinical excellence and an efficiently operatedbusinessonlycomplement ratherthancontradictoneanother. Practice management and qualityofpatient care One point of view to consider is that failing to operate a clinic effi- ciently or not consistently provid- ing outstanding customer service can detract from a dentist’s ability to provide excellent clinical care and a positivepatientexperience. A clinic that is disorganized or cha- otic, for example, does not provide proper focus on the patient. A den- tist who is constantly interrupted to solve managerial problems or "put out fires" is distracted from provid- ing clinical excellence and cannot completely concentrate on patient care. Inefficiencies in a clinic will lead to scheduling confusion, which oftencauseschaos,rushingandfrus- trationforthedoctorandpatient. I believe clinical excellence and an efficiently operated business only complement rather than contradict oneanother. Clinics operating in a fast-paced, dis- organized environment often fail to provide patients with a comprehen- sive oral examination. In many in- stances, the dentist spends less than five minutes examining a patient, andthefocusisonidentifyingactive caries, soft-tissue disease or restora- tiveworkthatisobviousandinneed of repair. Rarely in this disorganized environment does time allow the dentist to focus on reaching optimal oral health through innovative and comprehensive clinical and elective services. Clinics that lack a sufficient profit margin will be unable to invest in new technologies, invest in con- tinuing education or use the best products and materials. Dental clin- ics, like hospitals, are faced with the ever-increasing cost of technology. The addition of items such as prac- tice management software and digital radiography systems require that certain levels of cash flow and profitability be maintained to afford a technology investment. In time, a clinic that does not invest in new technologies, materials and services fails to offer its patients the highest levelofcare. Inefficiencies in a clinic are com- pounded by the fact that approxi- mately 5 percent of patients are no- shows or last-minute cancellations each year. Close to 30 percent of patients are overdue for periodontal maintenance (Not mentioning oral cancer screenings that is rarely done, if ever done!!). These numbers only illustrate further why clinics must have systems in place to provide comprehensive diagnosis and treat- ment to all patients, as well as effec- tivecareforoverallexcellenceinoral healthtreatment. What these examples also indicate is that efficient management systems and follow-up procedures allow practices to track and interact better with patients, ultimately providing these patients with the opportunity for excellence in dentistry. The goal of efficient dental management is to help dentists and their staff teams achieve their personal and profes- sional goals by providing a solid business foundation from which to grow.Thisdoesnotdetractfrom,but ratherenhances,clinicalcare. But, does implementing Practice Management make us focus only on profits and the money side of our clinic? Balancing quality care and ethics In no way am I suggesting that a to- tal focus on money at the expense of the best interests of patients is the proper way to practice dentistry. Practicemanagementisaverybroad field that covers hundreds of differ- ent subjects, and only one of these is practice profitability. A comprehen- sive practice management program alsomustconsidertheenjoymentof the dentist, satisfaction and training ofthestaff,levelofstressintheclinic, investment in clinic upgrades, cash flow to move or expand an office if necessary, efficiency in record keep- ing, patient flow and scheduling, proper care of emergency patients, patient financial arrangements, treatment, presentation and case ac- ceptance, technology investments, continuingeducationandmore. But those who lump critical practice management issues into one catego- ry and proclaim they detract from clinical care rather than enhance it misunderstand the very purpose of better practice management: excel- lenceinallareasofthepractice. Efficient practice management is about much more than profitability. It is about educating and motivat- ing patients to achieve optimum oral health by incorporating the best business methodologies and systems into the management of all clinicoperations. Effective practice management can- not be accomplished without gain- ing the overwhelming satisfaction and trust of every patient. This can be achieved only through excellence of care and by achieving the high professionalstandardsthatdentistry currentlydemands. Dr.EhabHeikal BDS, FICD, MBA, DBA. PracticeManagement consultant. He can be contactedat: eheikal@gmail.com “Ibelieveclinical excellenceand anefficientlyoperated businessonlycomplement ratherthancontradictone another.”