| How is your practice performing during the recession in 2008? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| No change | 27.3% | 16.70% | 16.90% | |
| Decreased by 1-10% | 29.9% | 29.80% | 26.20% | |
| Decreased by 11-20% | 15.2% | 14.30% | 20.00% | |
| Decreased by more than 20% | 8.6% | 3.60% | 9.20% | |
| Improved by 1-10% | 11.9% | 25.00% | 20.80% | |
| Improved by 11-20% | 5.4% | 9.50% | 3.10% | |
| Improved by more than 20% | 1.7% | 1.20% | 3.80% | |
| Is your competition increasing? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Yes | 42.7% | 55.40% | N/A | |
| No | 57.3% | 44.60% | N/A | |
| Have your inquiry calls decreased? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Yes | 39.1% | 39.80% | N/A | |
| No | 60.9% | 60.20% | N/A | |
| If yes, by how much? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| 1-10% | 53.9% | 61.10% | N/A | |
| 11-20% | 29.3% | 27.80% | N/A | |
| 21-30% | 12.3% | 8.30% | N/A | |
| 31-40% | 2.4% | 2.80% | N/A | |
| More than 40% | 2.1% | 0.00% | N/A | |
| If you have seen a decrease in practice revenue, has it been more or less than during previous recessions? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Larger decrease | 28.9% | 25.90% | 39.60% | |
| Same | 57.2% | 55.20% | 44.80% | |
| Less of a decrease | 13.9% | 19.00% | 15.60% | |
| How many of your colleagues and competitors have closed their practices in the past year? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| 0 | 60.8% | 60.50% | N/A | |
| 1 | 21.4% | 19.80% | N/A | |
| 2 | 11.9% | 12.30% | N/A | |
| 3 | 3.5% | 2.50% | N/A | |
| 4 | 0.9% | 0.00% | N/A | |
| 5 or more | 1.5% | 4.90% | N/A | |
| If you have seen an improvement in practice revenue, to what do you attribute this? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Increased marketing | 26.2% | 30.80% | 33.90% | |
| Type of practice | 33.6% | 26.90% | 17.70% | |
| Patients not affected by downturn | 14.0% | 11.50% | 9.70% | |
| Community not affected by downturn | 10.0% | 5.80% | 8.10% | |
| Other: | 16.2% | 25.00% | 30.60% | |
| What are you doing during the recession to protect your practice? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| No change | 35.3% | 29.80% | 24.80% | |
| Increased marketing | 49.7% | 56.00% | 50.40% | |
| Decreased marketing | 2.9% | 3.60% | 3.10% | |
| Other (lowering prices, doing special offers) | 12.1% | 10.70% | 21.70% | |
| How has your community been affected by the recession? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| No change | 4.5% | 6.00% | 7.00% | |
| Slightly affected | 43.9% | 42.20% | 49.60% | |
| Moderately affected | 42.0% | 41.00% | 35.70% | |
| Heavily affected | 9.6% | 10.80% | 7.80% | |
| Have you changed expansion plans due to the recession? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Yes, decided not to add an associate | 16.2% | 13.00% | 5.80% | |
| Yes, decided not to open another location | 13.5% | 4.30% | 8.70% | |
| Yes, decided not to add a new service (medspa, lasik, etc.) | 8.8% | 7.20% | 8.70% | |
| Yes, delayed other expansion plans (please describe): | 10.5% | 7.20% | 6.70% | |
| No, planning to add an associate | 15.5% | 30.40% | 23.30% | |
| No, planning to open another location | 12.3% | 10.10% | 11.60% | |
| No, planning to add a new service (medspa, lasik, etc.) | 7.9% | 10.10% | 15.50% | |
| No, developing other expansion plans (please describe): | 15.4% | 17.40% | 19.40% | |
| Have you had to lay off staff or close a location in the past year, or do you expect to have to do this? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Yes | 19.5% | 18.50% | N/A | |
| No | 80.5% | 81.50% | N/A | |
| How has your patient mix/types of cases changed as a result of the economy? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Not at all | N/A | N/A | 59.00% | |
| Seeing more Medicare patients, fewer discretionary spenders | 53.8% | 40.30% | 19.70% | |
| Seeing more discretionary spenders, fewer Medicare patients | 18.1% | 29.00% | 8.20% | |
| Other: | 28.2% | 30.60% | 13.10% | |
| What is your outlook for your practice's future? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Positive | 55.1% | N/A | N/A | |
| Neutral | 37.6% | N/A | N/A | |
| Negative | 7.3% | N/A | N/A | |
| What type of practice do you have? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Allergist | 0.3% | 0.00% | 0.90% | |
| Anesthesiologist | 0.0% | 0.00% | 5.00% | |
| Audiologist | 6.8% | 0.00% | 6.50% | |
| Bariatrician | 0.0% | 4.20% | 5.00% | |
| Cardiologist | 0.6% | 1.40% | 0.90% | |
| General Dentist | 3.4% | 15.50% | 15.70% | |
| Dermatologist | 0.8% | 2.80% | 0.90% | |
| Endodontist | 0.5% | 2.80% | 2.80% | |
| ENT | 1.5% | 0.00% | 1.90% | |
| Family Practitioner | 2.3% | 11.30% | 2.80% | |
| Gastroenterologist | 0.4% | 2.80% | 0.00% | |
| General Practitioner | 1.8% | 8.50% | 4.60% | |
| General Surgeon | 0.6% | 4.20% | 3.70% | |
| Hearing Specialist | 4.3% | 1.40% | 0.00% | |
| Neurologist | 1.6% | 1.40% | 2.80% | |
| OB/GYN | 1.5% | 4.20% | 1.90% | |
| Ophthalmologist | 0.6% | 5.60% | 4.60% | |
| Orthodontist | 2.4% | 5.60% | 7.40% | |
| Orthopedic Surgeon | 1.0% | 5.60% | 3.70% | |
| Pain Management Specialist | 0.8% | 4.20% | 4.60% | |
| Periodontist | 0.3% | 1.40% | 1.90% | |
| Physiatrist | 0.3% | 0.00% | 0.90% | |
| Physical Therapist | 9.5% | 7.00% | 13.90% | |
| Plastic Surgeon | 3.0% | 2.80% | 4.60% | |
| Podiatrist | 0.5% | 2.80% | 7.40% | |
| Pulmonologist | 3.4% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |
| Radiation Oncologist | 0.6% | 1.40% | 1.90% | |
| Sleep | 13.8% | 1.40% | 0.90% | |
| Urologist | 0.4% | 0.00% | 0.90% | |
| Veterinarian | 0.1% | 1.40% | 0.00% | |
| Other (please specify) | 37.1% | N/A | N/A | |
| Your age is: | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| 30-35 | 13.2% | 5.2% | 8.20% | |
| 36-40 | 11.8% | 15.60% | 18.00% | |
| 41-45 | 17.9% | 15.60% | 23.80% | |
| 46-50 | 18.0% | 28.60% | 17.20% | |
| 51-55 | 19.0% | 11.70% | 18.00% | |
| 56-60 | 10.7% | 16.90% | 10.70% | |
| 61-65 | 6.6% | 6.5% | 3.30% | |
| Over 65 | 2.8% | 0.0% | 0.80% | |
| Your practice is located in what state? | ||||
| Answer Options | December '08 | Aug '08 | April '08 | |
| Alabama | 1.6% | 0.0% | 1.70% | |
| Alaska | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| Arizona | 2.4% | 2.6% | 0.80% | |
| Arkansas | 1.0% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| California | 8.6% | 17.90% | 10.80% | |
| Colorado | 3.0% | 3.8% | 6.70% | |
| Connecticut | 1.3% | 0.0% | 1.70% | |
| Delaware | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.80% | |
| Florida | 7.2% | 7.7% | 7.50% | |
| Georgia | 3.4% | 5.1% | 5.00% | |
| Hawaii | 0.5% | 1.3% | 0.80% | |
| Idaho | 1.0% | 2.6% | 1.70% | |
| Illinois | 4.3% | 2.6% | 5.00% | |
| Indiana | 1.4% | 1.3% | 2.50% | |
| Iowa | 1.0% | 1.3% | 0.80% | |
| Kansas | 1.3% | 1.3% | 4.20% | |
| Kentucky | 1.8% | 1.3% | 1.70% | |
| Louisiana | 0.5% | 5.1% | 2.50% | |
| Maine | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| Maryland | 1.6% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| Massachusetts | 2.8% | 0.0% | 1.70% | |
| Michigan | 3.3% | 2.6% | 0.00% | |
| Minnesota | 1.8% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| Mississippi | 0.8% | 1.3% | 0.00% | |
| Missouri | 3.4% | 2.6% | 0.00% | |
| Montana | 0.5% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| Nebraska | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| Nevada | 0.6% | 0.0% | 1.70% | |
| New Hampshire | 0.5% | 1.3% | 0.80% | |
| New Jersey | 2.8% | 1.3% | 2.50% | |
| New Mexico | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| New York | 4.4% | 1.3% | 5.80% | |
| North Carolina | 3.8% | 3.8% | 0.00% | |
| North Dakota | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| Ohio | 4.0% | 3.8% | 0.80% | |
| Oklahoma | 0.8% | 1.3% | 0.00% | |
| Oregon | 2.0% | 0.0% | 1.75% | |
| Pennsylvania | 5.4% | 1.3% | 2.50% | |
| Rhode Island | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.80% | |
| South Carolina | 1.3% | 3.8% | 0.80% | |
| South Dakota | 0.4% | 1.3% | 2.50% | |
| Tennessee | 1.5% | 5.1% | 0.80% | |
| Texas | 6.4% | 7.7% | 8.30% | |
| Utah | 0.5% | 1.3% | 1.70% | |
| Vermont | 1.1% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| Virginia | 1.8% | 2.6% | 0.00% | |
| Washington | 3.0% | 1.3% | 0.80% | |
| West Virginia | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
| Wisconsin | 2.4% | 2.6% | 2.50% | |
| Wyoming | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.00% | |
That concludes our economic survey results.
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