What are statistics in reality? They are a representation of complex and multiple actions that when combined, result in some desired production represented in two dimensions so you can SEE THEM. In Bob’s case (see my last bog), patient visits. Think for a minute, what does it take to achieve a patient visit? Really break that down. Do they just walk in and you say, “Hi Jane, good to see you. I’ll adjust you and then you will come back when you feel you need to.” If that were true you would not be reading this, right? Now get this. All those actions you just thought about are represented in that two-dimensional graph. That graph comes to useful life only through what you know.
Back to the golden rule
Now back to that golden rule: statistics are caused, they don’t just happen. Getting a little clearer for you now? What were the actions it took to achieve a Patient Visit in Bob’s office? What were the actions surrounding that activity? When did the decline begin? Who was involved at the time? What was happening at the time?
Statistics do not lie and have no emotion
Another fact: Statistics honestly kept DO NOT LIE AND HAVE NO EMOTION. So, when you are looking at a mountain range graph like Bob’s patient visit graph was and you are told that all the usual actions are being done, you can bet there is some false report happening. That doesn’t say it is an intentional false report, but it does say something is amiss.
Watch your stats and follow what you know
So were Bob to have been versed in Managing by Statistics way back when his Patient Visits statistic began going down and not responding to his efforts to correct it; he would have inspected the actions that resulted in Patient Visits. This would have, as surely as gravity keeps you from flying off into space, drawn him to the cancellation policy and led him right to a valid question of his emotional staff member, “What patients have said they do not like the cancelation policy?” The answer to that question would inevitably be one or two out of 200. And that would have been the end of the cancellation of the cancellation policy. Remember statistics do not just happen, they are caused. Statistics represent complex action in a form that is easily seen. They require your understanding of the actions behind them to be of any use, and statistics take the emotion out of the picture. I personally view managing by statistics as sanity on paper.
There you have it
So there you have it, the saga of Bob’s statistical roller coaster ride and its solution. I hope you have found this helpful and something you can put to use in your practice. Is there more to know on the subject? Well, yes but I have been at it for years and was not born knowing this stuff any more than you were. I learned it through study, trial and error, and being just like Bob now and again.