Looking beyond the numbers to understand what needs attention
Earlier this fall, I spoke with a newly appointed team lead about the reports she reviewed at month-end. When we discussed the referral report, she said something that stayed with me:
“Yes, I print the report, but honestly, I don’t know what to do with it.”
It was an honest answer and an important reminder. Knowing how to generate a report and knowing how to use it are different skills.
How many of us print monthly reports, glance at the totals, and file them away? We have completed the task, but have we learned anything that will help our practice?
Behind those numbers are stories about our patients, our communication, and how our systems work. A report helps us notice something. Our next step is to ask what might explain it.
What happens after a new patient finds us?
A referral report can help us understand where new patients are coming from. Are they finding us through existing patients, professional referrals, or marketing?
That information can guide a closer look at where we invest our time and money. Before increasing or reducing marketing spending, though, we need context: Is the referral source being recorded consistently? How does it compare with previous months? What does each marketing activity cost?
Then there is another question: What happens after those patients arrive?
Are they returning for recommended care? Do they leave knowing their next step? Are appointments feeling rushed? Is there something about their experience we need to understand better?
The report alone cannot answer all of these questions. It can show us where to investigate through record reviews, team conversations, and patient feedback.
What is an outstanding balance telling us?
Patient accounts receivable reports show balances requiring attention. But each balance has a story.
Was the patient’s portion explained clearly? Was a payment arrangement documented? Did the patient receive a statement? Is there an unresolved insurance question?
One situation I find particularly frustrating is when a patient attends another appointment with an outstanding balance, and nobody raises it.
That is an opportunity to have a respectful conversation while the patient is already with us. If it keeps happening, we need to understand why. Does the team review balances before appointments? Do they know what to say? Are they clear about their authority to discuss payment options?
Insurance balances deserve the same curiosity. Is a claim waiting for documentation, correction, processing, or follow-up?
The question becomes: Where is the process getting stuck, and what would help it move forward?
Why did a patient become inactive?
When a patient is inactivated without a documented reason, we lose valuable information.
Did they move? Transfer to another practice? Experience financial barriers? Express dissatisfaction? Or have we simply been unable to reach them?
Without that context, we are left guessing.
Agreeing on how the team records these reasons can help us distinguish circumstances outside our control from concerns we may be able to address. It also helps the next person reviewing the record understand what happened.
What treatment is waiting and why?
I have seen complex treatment, such as implant placement, sit on a treatment plan for months after a patient leaves without a follow-up appointment.
The administrative team is then left playing phone tag. Sometimes they are unsure how to explain the treatment sequence, what the next appointment involves, or which questions need to go back to the clinician.
An unscheduled treatment report can prompt us to examine that handoff.
Did the patient understand the recommendation? Were their questions answered? Did they want time to consider their options? Was the next step clearly explained and offered?
The team may need more training on the full patient journey for complex treatment, including their role in supporting it.
Our responsibility is to help patients make informed decisions and make their chosen next step easier to navigate.
Bring your team into the story
Practice leaders do not have to interpret every report alone. The people doing the work often have context that helps explain what we see.
Share relevant findings with the team members involved and ask:
What are you noticing?
What might explain this pattern?
What do we need to verify?
What could we adjust?
What support would help?
Keep the conversation curious and constructive. A report can open a useful discussion about unclear expectations, training needs, or a process that needs attention.
Choose one manageable improvement. For example, the team might introduce a pre-appointment balance review, agree on inactive-patient reasons, or clarify the handoff for implant treatment.
Then use RADAR: identify the Responsible person, Action, Due date, Accountability check, and Report back.
Return to the report
Before making a change, record your starting point. Agree on what you will monitor and when you will review it.
If you improve treatment handoffs, are more patients leaving with an agreed next step? If you introduce balance reviews, are unresolved accounts being addressed sooner?
Use consistent report settings and comparable periods. Give the change time to work, then discuss what the results suggest. If progress is limited, investigate and adjust together.
Reports become useful when they help us decide what to do—and check whether it helped.
Let’s build greater clarity together
We will continue this conversation at our November 30 Practice Leadership Study Club, when Shaun Howe, CPA and partner at MNP, joins us to discuss Financial Clarity for Dental Practice Leaders. It is an opportunity to deepen your understanding and bring your questions into a shared learning environment.
If you feel overwhelmed by your practice reports or unsure where to begin, I can help you find the story behind the numbers, identify priorities, and guide your team toward practical changes.
Book a complimentary introductory call with Blossom Dental Consulting to explore how I can support you.
Your reports are telling a story. Taking time to understand it can help you shape what happens next.
With Courage and Encouragement,
Monica Watson
