Patient Visit Average

Hey everyone, I'm Joel Duncan with Therapist Consultants. Today let's talk about the importance of tracking your patient visit average. This is one of the most crucial metrics for your practice. When I learned this in my practice, it changed the way I saw everything. It's a simple yet powerful number that represents the average number of sessions a patient attends before they leave or complete your care. The simple way to calculate this is to take the total number of patients that you've had visits over a given period and divide that by the number of new patients that you've seen in that time. Now, why is that so important? It gives you insight into patient retention, treatment effectiveness, and the financial stability of your practice. If your PVA is too low, that may indicate that patients are dropping out too quick, prematurely. It may be due to financial concerns, lack of perceived progress, or scheduling difficulties. A healthy PVA ensures that patients receive the full benefit of therapy rather than leaving before meaningful change happens. So how do you maintain a strong patient visit average? Well, first you have a clear treatment plan. From the very first session, communicate a structured plan that outlines the expected duration of the therapy and the milestones along the way. Number two, it improves patient engagement. Check in regularly about their progress. Celebrate wins. Adjust the treatment plan as needed. Third, pre-schedule appointments. Encourage patients to schedule all their sessions in advance to create a consistency and to create commitment. Number four, it addresses barriers to continuity. If patients are dropping off early, find out why. Is it scheduling? Is it the cost? Is it lack of progress? Addressing these issues head on improves your retention. Patients who stick with treatment plans longer see better results. This provides financial stability for your practice and enhances professional reputation because when patients complete their care and see results, they're more likely to refer other people and to leave positive reviews. Now, why do PVA's matter for practice owners with associates? If you own a group practice with associates, tracking your PVA is even more crucial. It helps you ensure that your associates, those who are working with you, are maintaining strong patient retention and delivering consistent care. By monitoring their PVA, you can identify training opportunities, you can improve treatment protocols, and you can support your team in how to keep patients engaged. A practice with a strong overall PBA not only provides better care, but it also maintains a more stable and predictable revenue stream. If you're a Therapist Consultant's client, review your patient visit average with your consultant to ensure you're maximizing its potential. If you're not yet a client, now is the perfect time to join us. No matter where you find yourself, today is the perfect time to start seeing growth. And Therapist Consultants gives you a complete customized roadmap to success from startup to retirement. I'm Joel Duncan, and together we can take your practice to the next level. We'll see you next week.