Estate Negative Indicators:
- The demographics are inconsistent with the dental practice’s vision, goals and services.
- Improper geographic location
- Presence of severe professional competition
- Limited space
Physical Resources Negative Indicators:
- Unrealistic estate renting or leasing contract term
- Outdated general infrastructure (i.e., facilities and furniture)
- Outdated or unmaintained medical and dental equipment
- Shortage of quality dental instruments, materials and supplies
- Outdated patient record keeping methods
- Lack of written operational policies
- Lack of written patient care protocols in patient admission, monitoring patient complaints, clinical treatment, preventative treatment and follow-up care
- Substandard instruments sterilization methods
- Unacceptable infection control practices - Lack dental laboratory facilities
Human Resources Negative Indicators
- The general dentists’ group backgrounds do not meet the requirements of tenure and clinical experience
- There is a lack of full-time, qualified dental specialists to support the general dentists, a situation that causes the general dentists to refer the patients to outside specialists or perform treatments beyond their clinical skills and capabilities
- There is a lack of full-time, qualified dental hygienists and dental technicians - The back office is understaffed
- The front office is understaffed
- An unhealthy work environment is characterized by subgrouping, prejudice, and indifference
Services Negative Indicators
- Evidence of patient neglect and abandonment
- Lack of patient dental hygiene and preventive dentistry programs
- Substandard patient records. Characterized with disorganization and poor documentation - Evidence of formal and legal patient’s complaints against the practice
