You've completed the 7-Metric Assessment. You have your scorecard. Now what?
Most leaders look at their results and immediately want to fix everything at once. That instinct makes sense, but it's counterproductive. Technology health isn't improved by tackling every problem simultaneously. It's improved by understanding patterns, choosing the right starting point, and building momentum.
Here's how to make sense of your results and decide what actually matters.
Read the Pattern, Not Just the Numbers
Individual scores tell you something. The pattern across all seven metrics tells you more.
If you scored low across the board, that's not a crisis. It means you're honest about where you stand, and you have clear opportunities for improvement. The question isn't "how did we get here?" It's "which one problem, if addressed, would make the biggest difference?"
If most scores are high but one or two are conspicuously low, pay attention to that gap. A clinic with strong alignment, security, and quality but terrible efficiency usually has a workflow problem, not a technology problem. The systems work fine. The processes around them don't.
If scores cluster in the middle, you're probably doing okay but nothing feels exceptional. That's common. It also means small improvements in any direction will be noticeable quickly.
What Different Score Ranges Mean
Developing (below 50%): These areas create daily friction. Staff works around problems instead of through them. Leadership notices, even if they don't always say so. These are your highest-impact opportunities because the gap between current state and functional state is measurable.
Maturing (50-79%): Things mostly work, but inconsistently. You have the foundation, but it's not reliable enough to trust completely. These areas benefit from structure and process more than new technology.
Leading (80% and above): You're doing well here. The question isn't how to improve, it's how to maintain without creating bureaucracy. High scores can slip quickly if you stop paying attention or if you over-engineer solutions that already work.
Pick One Problem to Solve First
Look at your lowest score. Now ask yourself: does this problem show up every week? Does it pull focus from patient care? Does it create frustration that people talk about?
If yes, that's your starting point.
If your lowest score is in an area that's annoying but not urgent, look at the second-lowest score. The goal is to find the problem that, if solved, would give your team the most immediate relief.
Don't try to fix three things at once. You'll split attention, dilute effort, and nothing will improve meaningfully. Pick one metric. Focus there. Build momentum. Then tackle the next one.
When You Can Handle It Internally
Some low scores are fixable with internal effort:
Alignment problems often need better communication between leadership and IT, not new tools. If your score is low here, start with monthly check-ins where priorities get revisited and projects get tied directly to mission outcomes.
Quality issues around data usually come from inconsistent processes, not bad systems. Standardize how information gets entered. Assign ownership for accuracy. Run regular audits. These are internal fixes.
Innovation gaps can often be addressed by creating a lightweight process for documenting what works when someone tries something new. You don't need a formal innovation program. You need a way to capture and share small wins.
When You Need Outside Help
Other low scores signal deeper problems that require expertise or capacity you don't have:
Reliability problems might stem from infrastructure issues, vendor limitations, or technical debt that's compounded over time. If systems go down often or recovery is slow, you need someone who can evaluate the architecture and recommend structural fixes.
Security gaps in the Developing range usually mean you're exposed in ways you don't fully understand. Security isn't just about tools. It's about posture, processes, and knowing where vulnerabilities actually exist. That requires specialized knowledge.
Efficiency issues that persist despite process improvements often point to workflow design problems or systems that don't integrate well. If staff are still doing manual workarounds after you've tried to streamline, the problem is probably technical, not procedural.
What Happens Next
If your results point to problems you can tackle internally, start with the one that causes the most friction. Use the targeted guidance in your scorecard as a starting point. Revisit the assessment in three to six months and see if your score moved.
If your results reveal gaps that need outside perspective, that's where the Discovery Diagnostic comes in. It takes your scorecard findings and turns them into a practical roadmap. We'll identify root causes, prioritize based on impact and feasibility, and give you a clear plan for what to do first.
The Discovery Diagnostic isn't about selling you services. It's about giving you clarity. Some clinics come out of it with a roadmap they execute internally. Others decide they need ongoing support. Either way, you'll know exactly what needs to happen and why.
You can also book a shorter call to discuss your results and get perspective on whether you're on the right track. No pitch, just a conversation about what you're seeing and what makes sense as a next step.
The scorecard gave you a snapshot. Now you get to decide how to act on it. Whether you work with Metric7 or handle this on your own, the important thing is that you're not guessing anymore. You have a starting point, and that's more than most clinics have.
If you want to talk through your results in a quick 15-minute debrief, book a time here. If you're interested in exploring a Discovery Diagnostic, schedule a 30-minute conversation. And if you just want to sit with your results for a while and think it through, that's fine too. The scorecard isn't going anywhere.