Optimizing the Business of Healthcare^TM

Sikka Oral Health Economic Indicators

sikka.ai was able to track the impact of the pandemic better than anyone else out there. We created an insights website that can be accessed to see week-over-week performance of practices. Interestingly, there is a very high correlation to economic performance. Coming back to the present time, as things get back to the new normal once again, our data is particularly accurate because we have past, present and future recall treatments and other forward indicators – so we can tell you how the inflation indicator is going to be, looking ahead, in addition to what it is at the present time. The correlation coefficient is above 0.7.

Similarly, the consumer confidence index has a very high correlation to dental data because we have a very good handle based on the appointments. Patients make appointments when they obviously are confident that they will have a job or their insurance will apply and it's only then that they accept an appointment.

The final chart is shown as a point of comparison. Copper has historically been venerated as "Dr. Copper" due to the seeming ability of its price movements to "predict" inflation, yet its correlation of 0.6926 is significantly lower than our Dental Inflation Indicator (the first chart), which has a correlation of 0.7437.

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Dental Inflation Indicator
Correlation = 0.7437

Dental Consumer Confidence Indicator
Correlation = 0.7929

Copper Price and Inflation Rate
Correlation = 0.6926