How AileronMD uses reference ranges.
Comparisons are context for a leadership discussion, not grades, targets, or proof of causation. This page explains what the current product does and where the limits are.
What the ranges are
The current specialty-adjusted ranges are internally authored, industry-informed estimates. They are designed to help frame questions while AileronMD develops a larger evidence base.
They are not a live peer dataset, a licensed survey, or a statistically representative sample. They should not be described as peer medians or used as a substitute for a licensed benchmark source.
How they are used
Each submitted metric is compared with the reference range for the selected specialty and with the practice's own prior periods when history exists. Directionality is metric-specific: lower Days in A/R may be favorable, while a higher net collection rate may be favorable.
A comparison can identify a question worth investigating. It cannot establish the cause, confirm an error, or determine the right action on its own.
The 16 current measures
Revenue Cycle
- Revenue per Provider
Total monthly revenue divided by number of full-time-equivalent providers. Likely source: EHR Revenue Report ÷ # of FTE providers.
- Days in Accounts Receivable (A/R)
Average number of days from charge to collection. Likely source: EHR A/R Aging Report.
- Net Collection Rate
Collections as a percentage of charges, after contractual adjustments. Likely source: (Collections ÷ Charges) × 100.
- Contractual Adjustment Rate
Adjustments as a percentage of gross revenue. Likely source: (Adjustments ÷ Gross Revenue) × 100.
Payer Contracts
- Insurance Mix (% Commercial)
Share of revenue from commercial payers. Likely source: EHR Payer Mix Report.
- Average Reimbursement Rate
Average allowed amount divided by gross charge. Likely source: EHR Payer Contracts.
Scheduling & Access
- Third Next Available Appointment
Average days until the third available appointment slot. Likely source: EHR Scheduling Report.
- No-Show Rate
Share of appointments where the patient did not arrive. Likely source: (No-Shows ÷ Total Appointments) × 100.
- Scheduling Efficiency
Provider-utilized time as a share of available scheduled time. Likely source: (Scheduled Hours ÷ Available Hours) × 100.
People & Staffing
- Staff-to-Provider Ratio
Total FTE staff divided by total FTE providers. Likely source: EHR Staffing Report.
- Provider Turnover Rate
Annualized share of providers who have left. Likely source: Trailing-12-month separations ÷ avg. providers.
- Staff Training Investment
Training budget as a share of total payroll. Likely source: Training $ ÷ Total Payroll × 100.
Overhead
- Operating Expense Ratio
Operating expenses as a share of net revenue. Likely source: Operating Expenses ÷ Net Revenue × 100.
- Cost per Patient Visit
Total operating expenses divided by total patient visits. Likely source: Op. Expenses ÷ Total Visits.
Resilience
- Patient Satisfaction Score
Average patient satisfaction score (out of 5). Likely source: Press Ganey or in-EHR survey.
- Quality Compliance Rate
Share of quality measures in compliance. Likely source: Compliant measures ÷ Total measures × 100.
Limits that matter
- Definitions, reporting periods, accounting methods, and specialty mix can make two practices difficult to compare.
- Missing periods, one-time transactions, and inconsistent source reports can distort a trend.
- Geography, practice size, payer mix, ownership, and service mix are not fully controlled in the current ranges.
- Reference ranges are reviewed periodically, but no fixed update schedule or external sample size is claimed.
AileronMD uses these comparisons as advisory context. Practice leadership remains responsible for validating the source data and deciding what to investigate. See the legal and scope boundaries.