# Discounts and Efficiency in Patient Treatment

# Question:

What was Dr. Schalks trick for patients with multiple children and how to navigate the whole discount situation ?

# Answer: 


[https://www.loom.com/share/f8f3a157612c4aba98a8a2486b6d4bc7?sid=b6644105-2f36-448b-bfea-0c8603f167be](https://www.loom.com/share/f8f3a157612c4aba98a8a2486b6d4bc7?sid=b6644105-2f36-448b-bfea-0c8603f167be)


Discount policies for patients vary depending on the clinic, but this clinic offers discounts for multiple family members. Specifically, if a second family member begins treatment, they receive a $500 discount. The standard treatment cost is approximately $7,800.

In cases where two patients start treatment at the same time, the clinic can operate more efficiently. For example, the two patients can be seated in side-by-side chairs, allowing the orthodontist to bond both simultaneously and go over instructions together. This reduces the overall time required for each patient.

When two siblings are brought in for appointments, the clinic can streamline the process further. They may bring both patients into the room at the same time, using a two-chair setup. One patient will sit in the chair, undergo a check, then switch with the other sibling. This back-and-forth reduces the need to book two separate appointments. Instead, they schedule both together, and the same efficient process applies to taking photographs. The clinic sets up for both patients, takes pictures of each, and quickly transitions between them.

Because of these efficiencies, the clinic offers a 20% discount when two patients start their treatment simultaneously.