Organizational Maturity (Maturity Matrix Dentistry – MMD) as a Factor of Productivity of Dental Practices in Slovenia

On a global scale, there have been few studies carried out in the fields of productivity and maturity assessments of dental practices, and so far none has been carried out in Slovenia. With my research, I intend to explain the causes of varying productivity levels by implementing the Maturity Matrix Dentistry. Productivity will be analyzed in private and public dental practices in Slovenia and compared to a comparable study carried out in the USA in 2010 by Conrad et al. The Maturity Matrix Dentistry will be used to explain various levels of productivity. Maturity Matrix Dentistry is a simple tool to carry out maturity assessments of primary-level medical organizations. The assessment tool was developed in England, at Cardiff University. The healthcare system is currently in a transitional period, as the policies of public and private operation in the fields of concessions, as well as self-financing operation are yet unclear. There is a strong initiative for acquiring concessions in fields creating high added values, such as dentistry. Considering this, a large number of new small practices are being established; such practices desire to operate independently, but do not have the requisite knowledge and resources for business organization and management. On the other hand, there are public healthcare institutions with resources that are not being utilized in a sufficiently efficient manner; the policies and strategies for improving productivity and improvements in the field of business organization are also insufficiently clear. The results and interpretations will represent the first such survey in Slovenia in the field in question. The survey results will contribute to the view of the situation.