Effectiveness and Efficiency
Effectiveness and Efficiency in a Chiropractic Office
A simple example in a chiropractic office would be the multi-task endeavor of a routine patient visit. This unpretentious five-step process simply requires all of the steps to be accomplished; the order of the steps doesn’t matter. In fact, complete success will be achieved using any random sequence in this multi-task endeavor. The five-step process includes:
- the patient signing in
- the patient getting adjusted
- the patient being taught
- the patient paying for the visit and
- the patient rescheduling for the next visit
Every task is randomly interchangeable. For example, the patient could: 1) pay for the visit, 2) be taught, 3) reschedule for the next visit, 4) sign in and 5) get adjusted. The end result is still a complete routine visit.
The sequence can be debated, but what is most important is for the doctor to consider style, effectiveness and efficiency. If, as a doctor, your style includes teaching and then adjusting the patient, this is the most reasonable order to use. However, many doctors have improved these two steps by learning how to teach a patient while the adjustment is taking place. In this instance, efficiency is improved without the loss of effectiveness. Moreover, a doctor may have chosen to have a patient visit the front desk twice during each routine visit, for example: 1) sign in, 2) get adjusted, 3) be taught 4) pay and 5) reschedule. A more efficient sequence would be to visit the front desk one time only, for example: 1) sign in, 2) pay, 3) reschedule, 4) teach and 5) adjust. In this sequence, no effectiveness is sacrificed, and all tasks are still accomplished.
Consider, for a moment, the willingness to modify style in order to greatly enhance efficiency, even to the point of increasing effectiveness by impressing the patient with your organizational skills. If you were to combine the five tasks required in a routine patient visit as follows: 1) sign in, 2) pay, 3) reschedule, 4) then teach while 5) adjusting, you would be maximizing effectiveness and efficiency. In this instance, effectiveness and efficiency would also be noticed and appreciated by patients.
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