Before we find the best skin cancer clinics in Australia, we want to be clear about our definition of success. It is not based on income. Although the clinic’s revenue is tied to the characteristics we will describe, it is not a criterion for a successful clinic like Sundoctors.
What makes a clinic a success?
These are the five factors we consider when deciding whether a clinic will succeed.
- Staff and practitioners have a balanced workload and a healthy work-life balance.
- The admin staff is friendly and upbeat.
- The clinic as a whole can retain and attract new patients.
- The clinic has a strong business support team.
- The clinic has the foundation and efficiency to support future growth.
We have now established what we consider a successful clinic. Here are the top 5 characteristics that successful clinics share and what we have learned from them.
Communication is key
Open communication is vital between all team members, whether you are a solo practitioner or have a small staff. All team members must agree on clinic operations, marketing strategies, policies, and protocols. Clinic owners who think their staff needs to know everything often have high turnover and practitioner retention.
Workload balance
Although it may seem counterintuitive, reducing your workload can significantly make your clinic more profitable. Working four days per week instead of five can make a big difference. The best clinics we have worked at are open only three days per week. This reduces the administrative load and makes it easier to manage all administrative tasks. It also allows practitioners to be more involved in their patient’s care and spend more time with their families and friends.
Care of high quality
The quality of care provided to patients is an indicator of clinic success. Many of our points here are related to this. Although having hundreds of patients come through your clinic each week and a lower quality of care might give you more income, it doesn’t make you a better clinic.
Excellent patient retention
Patients who are treated in successful clinics tend to be more loyal. It’s significantly more costly to attract new clients than to retain existing ones. Therefore, your efforts to obtain new patients continue after the first visit. It’s just a matter of trying to maintain that patient. Patient retention is a big part of many of the factors already mentioned. Patient retention is based on a balanced workload, high-quality care, patient outreach, and a positive environment in the clinic.
Strong Referral Network
Clinics with multiple practitioners will be more successful with an established internal referral system. Even in clinics focusing more on specific illnesses, we have seen the benefits of team-based patient care in many successful clinics.
This is not about maximizing a patient’s revenue by referring as many practitioners as possible. Instead, it is essential to create a patient care system that fully utilizes the services you offer in your clinic.
Conclusion
It is important to remember that, no matter your professional or personal achievements, there are always new things to be learned by asking questions and sharing your vision with others. This article is not a practitioner guideline because it’s worth the effort.
We have spoken to practitioners at all stages of their careers, including those retiring after 45 years of working in the healthcare sector and students convinced they can change the world. On one side is the wisdom of experience, and on the other is youthful energy. Being there has given me a great perspective on the healthcare industry, and we are thrilled to share it with you.
