Treating your medical practice the way you treat a patient in 5 easy steps…

As a doctor, you’re used to solving problems step by step: listen to the patient, analyze the data, make a diagnosis, and develop a treatment plan…

But what if you took that same approach to your medical service business (aka your practice)? Whether you’re a hospitalist managing patient flow or a community-focused specialist practicing in a clinic, your practice needs the same care and approach you give - and expect - from good patients.

Here’s how treating your practice like a patient can help you thrive in 2025.

1. Check Your Practice’s Vitals

Just like every patient starts with an assessment, your practice needs a full checkup. What’s working? What’s not? Look at key indicators: OHIP claims and other revenue, overhead costs (not just percentages), patient wait times, your burnout and track toward your ideal life, and staff satisfaction.

A hospitalist might realize inefficient discharge processes are leading to patient backups and low satisfaction scores. A community specialist might notice that long wait times, the admin team’s ignoring OHIP version code errors or missed billing opportunities are holding their practice back.

Pro Tip for Ontario Doctors: Start the year (and start the first weekend of every month) reviewing your practice’s financial health. Are you capturing all the revenue you’re owed? Use tools like billing audits or claim optimization services to plug any gaps.

2. Diagnose the Problem

You don’t prescribe without knowing what’s wrong, and the same applies here. Use data to dig deeper—are there inefficiencies in your workflow, billing, or patient flow? Ask for guidance or second opinions from colleagues, and our Clarity Concierge team are also happy to answer a question or be a sounding board with no obligation.

For Example: A hospitalist might find they are under-billing procedures that are costing thousands in missed revenue. A specialist might learn that high-value services aren’t being booked because patients aren’t aware of them or their referring doctors may not know to send those patients to them.

Ontario practices benefit from regular billing reviews. The temporary OHIP billing updates make this an ideal time to ensure your claims align with current Fee Schedule Master updates.

3. Build a Treatment Plan

Once you know what’s wrong, create a plan to fix it. Focus on solutions and habits that are practical and sustainable, just like you would for a patient.

For Example: A hospitalist might improve patient handovers to reduce delays and frustration. A community specialist might invest in training staff to double-check billing codes before submission, or pass this function to a 3rd party and ask their staff to bill the more complex and lucrative insurers.

Focus on the “critical conditions” first—like fixing billing errors or addressing staff burnout—before tackling long-term goals like expanding your practice. Turnover as just one example (which is when a staff member leaves and must be replaced), is a VERY expensive problem.

4. Schedule Regular Follow-Ups

Follow-ups are key to keeping patients on track, and the same goes for your business. Are the changes you’ve made working? Are you hitting revenue, operational and patient care goals?

A hospitalist might track readmission rates to measure the success of new protocols. A specialist might monitor referral rates after launching a new patient program. Both may check bank balances on the same day of each month and write them down to see if they are cash-flowing well.

Make it easy to track your “practice vitals.” Set up a dashboard or simple spreadsheet to review metrics like gross profit, patient flow, and billing efficiency regularly.

5. Think Long-Term: Prevention Over Treatment

Preventive care keeps patients healthy, and preventive strategies keep your practice thriving. Anticipating challenges and staying proactive can save you time, money, and stress.

A hospitalist might attend workshops to prepare for upcoming policy changes. A specialist might offer new services to meet growing patient needs.

Stay ahead of the curve by investing in tools, training, and resources that make your practice resilient—especially as Ontario’s healthcare landscape continues to shift.