5 key metrics to steer your medical practice

Running a medical practice is not only about caring for patients. It is also piloting a small business with its costs, revenues and quality targets. To make good decisions, you must measure. Here are the 5 indicators every Algerian doctor should track monthly.

1. Agenda occupancy rate

This indicator measures the percentage of available time slots actually filled with consultations over a given week. A rate below 70% suggests a visibility or patient acquisition issue.

Formula: (Completed consultations / Available slots) × 100

A well-managed practice aims for an occupancy rate between 80% and 90%. Beyond that, the risk is practitioner burnout and loss of care quality.

2. Average consultation time

Too short, you rush patients. Too long, you lose profitability and accumulate delays. In general practice, the French average sits around 15 minutes. In Algeria, times are often shorter due to high demand.

Accurate tracking lets you:

• Identify consultations that consistently overrun
• Adjust your schedule to reduce delays
• Detect time-consuming pathologies that need dedicated follow-up

3. No-show rate

This critical KPI measures the percentage of patients who fail to attend their appointment without notice. In Algeria, it often reaches 20-30% in practices without a reminder system.

Financial impact: A practice losing 5 patients a week at 2,000 DA per consultation equals 40,000 DA of lost revenue per month.

The most effective solution remains automatic SMS reminders sent 24h and 2h before the consultation. Equipped practices see a 40-60% drop in no-shows.

4. Net monthly revenue

Beyond gross figures, what matters is the net after costs. Track:

• Income: consultations, procedures, certificates
• Expenses: rent, secretarial salaries, consumables, insurance
• Month-over-month trend to spot patterns

A monthly dashboard helps anticipate drops in activity (vacations, seasonality) and plan investments (equipment, training).

5. Patient satisfaction

Often overlooked, this indicator is the best predictor of long-term growth. A satisfied patient recommends you — word of mouth is the #1 acquisition lever in Algeria.

To measure:

• Online reviews (Google, Hakim-DZ, Facebook)
• Anonymous satisfaction survey (optional, 3 questions max)
• Existing patient return rate (loyalty)

How to centralize these indicators

Tracking 5 KPIs manually every month is time-consuming. A platform like Hakim-DZ automatically computes them from your agenda and consultations. You gain vision and time.

Want to pilot your practice with reliable data? Discover the statistics module included in our Pro and Group plans.