One of the most challenging aspects of working in, or managing a pediatric practice, is defining success. Anyone working in this field wants their patients to be successful. For pediatrics, that can mean anything from hitting developmental milestones on target to creating useful coping strategies for mental health conditions like depression or anxiety.

Let’s discuss the many forms of pediatric success and which resources can help practices be more successful in their work.

Measuring Success in Pediatrics

The drive to achieve success is a great motivator, but it can be challenging to define what success actually is.

Depending on your practice, patients, and your own goals, there are lots of different ways to measure the success of your practice. Here are some of the most common measurements used by pediatric practices.

• New families added
• Spatial growth – are you on track to grow into a larger office?
• Adding more providers
• Staff retention
• Vaccine compliance
• Percentage of successful well visits completed
• Financial metrics

The best way to measure success in pediatrics is to pick one of these metrics, then use only that to measure your progress. That way, you won’t get sidetracked as you focus on achieving your goals.

It’s important to remember that success for one practice will not look the same as success for another. Only by sticking to your metrics and tracking your progress week by week can you truly identify and celebrate areas of growth. 

Regardless of which measurement you use, the most important thing is to set your own measure of success, then use only that to determine whether you’re on track to accomplish your goals.

Creating a Plan for Success

Once you’ve determined a metric or area of your practice you’d like to focus on, the next step is creating a plan for success. To do this, use the SMART acronym to create goals that are:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timely

Once you have clearly defined goals, you can start looking for resources that will help you achieve them.  

Resources to Help You Achieve Pediatric Success

The Pediatric Success Series is an excellent resource where you can connect with fellow pediatricians as you all learn about new and relevant topics in pediatric care together.

Take a look at these blogs and resources created by industry experts from across the country, connect with fellow pediatricians on live webinars, or listen in to the podcasts entirely focused on how to achieve pediatric success. 

Tapping into a community of like-minded pediatric professionals can help you feel supported, and can also offer a wealth of advice, best practices, and other helpful hints that will help you as you work to grow your practice. 

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