Find hidden opportunities
See where your practice is outperforming, falling behind, or leaving revenue and efficiency on the table.
AAOE Benchmarking
Data year 2025 submissions due August 31, 2026
Stop guessing. See how your practice actually compares.
You do not have to complete every section, and you do not have to figure it out alone. Choose the participation option that works for your team, and AAOE will help you move it across the finish line.
"Why not just ask AI?" General AI tools can summarize public information, but they cannot benchmark your practice against current, confidential data. Much of the compensation, productivity, staffing, operational, and financial information practices need is not publicly available, and AI-generated answers may be outdated or inaccurate when reliable source data does not exist. AAOE Benchmarking is built from real submissions from practices, giving you current, specific comparisons you can trust.
Why should I care?
Because a number without context is still a guess.
Benchmarking helps you understand whether a result is a real problem, normal for the industry, or if there is an opportunity for you that is sitting in plain sight.
Public information and AI-generated answers can provide general guidance, but they cannot replace current, confidential benchmarking data from practices like yours. Reliable decisions require reliable comparisons.
Make better decisions
Use objective orthopedic data to guide budgeting, staffing, compensation, pricing, and operations.
Back up your recommendations
Walk into board, physician, and leadership conversations with comparable data instead of opinions.
Compare the right peers
Benchmark your practice, providers, and staff against similar orthopedic practices across sizes and settings.
What can the data tell you?
Questions practice leaders are already being asked
- Are we paying competitively?
- Are our collections where they should be?
- Are our staffing levels reasonable?
- Are our providers producing at expected levels?
- How does our payer mix compare?
- Where are we leaving money on the table?
From data to decisions
This is not a report you file away.
AAOE members use benchmarking data in board meetings, compensation conversations, and everyday operational decisions.
A blind spot became a measurable fix
One practice learned its days in accounts receivable ranked in the 25th percentile. It redesigned front-end processes, improved insurance verification and co-pay collection, and reduced denials and mismatched information.
They would not have known where the process was underperforming without the comparison.
A hunch became a successful business case
An administrator compared her compensation with leaders at similarly sized orthopedic practices. She brought the objective data to her board, which approved a significant increase.
The right peer data gave leadership a credible reason to act.
Member voices
What practice leaders say about using the data
Real decisions become easier when you can point to current, comparable practice data.
★★★★★
“We would not have known that our accounts receivable performance was falling behind without benchmarking it against similar practices.”
Terry Rosenthal, MBA, ATC
CEO, The Orthopaedic Clinic, PC
★★★★★
“The compensation benchmarks gave me objective information I could bring to my board instead of relying on a feeling that my salary was out of alignment.”
Tara Holicky, MBA
Administrator, Greater Chesapeake Hand to Shoulder
★★★★★
“The survey and the AAOE community helped us identify opportunities that ultimately contributed to significant revenue growth.”
Sam Santschi, JD, CMPE
Administrator, Diana L. Kruse, MD
Choose your easiest path
Multiple ways to participate. No all-or-nothing requirement.
Select the method that fits your available data and how your team prefers to work. You can save your progress, return later, collaborate with colleagues, or submit files for AAOE to map.
Online Survey
- Select the tier that fits your practice.
- Complete the sections for which you have useful data.
- Save progress and return as often as needed.
- Use detailed instructions and easy section navigation.
- Receive an export after submission.
Full Excel Survey
- Complete the full survey in Excel.
- Work offline and share the file with colleagues.
- Submit it for AAOE to map into the online survey.
Provider Sections
- Submit physician productivity and compensation.
- Submit PA-NP productivity and compensation.
- Submit therapist and athletic trainer compensation.
- AAOE will map the file into the survey.
OrthoForum or OrthoConnect
- Reuse work your practice has already completed.
- Submit the Benchmarking Survey, Salary Survey, and CPT Codes files.
- Upload securely through the AAOE Data Portal or email the files to AAOE.
New: Standardized Work RVU calculations
To include physician, physician assistant, and nurse practitioner Work RVU data, submit a CPT Code Report using the AAOE template. AAOE will calculate the Work RVU values and enter them into your Benchmarking Survey to support greater standardization across practices.
Request the CPT Code Report templateBut your participation gives you free access to the results!
Participants receive access to AAOE Benchmarking Results, a $2,000 value, plus additional benefits based on the practice's participation history. Participants may also be eligible for incentives, including a complimentary AAOE Annual Conference registration or a gift card.
Start with what you need
Resources to make completion easier
Use one guide or use them all. These tools are designed to reduce the hunting, guessing, and last-minute scrambling.
Survey Guide
Explains the rationale for each survey section and the data points needed.
Open Survey GuideSurvey Cheat Sheet
Provides a high-level overview of what is included in the survey.
Open Cheat SheetSurvey Checklist
Details the data points requested so your team can gather information efficiently.
Open Survey ChecklistData Sources and Reports
Shows which internal data sources and reports can provide the requested information.
Open Data Sources GuideReport Overviews and Formulas
Provides detailed formulas for calculating report data points.
Open Formulas GuideSuggested Completion Schedule
Provides weekly and monthly options, including staff assignments, to divide the work.
Open Suggested ScheduleBreak it into manageable pieces
A suggested four-step completion plan
Assign sections to the people closest to the data and work through them in stages. The online survey allows you to save progress and return as often as needed. Final submissions for data year 2025 are due August 31, 2026.
Step 1: Practice and revenue-cycle profile
- Practice Profile
- AR & Payer Mix
- Ancillary Services
- Call Data
Step 2: Administrator, employee, and financial data
- Practice Administrator Compensation
- Employees
- Non-Employee Expenses
- Income Statement
Step 3: Provider productivity and compensation
- Physician Productivity & Compensation
- PA-NP Productivity & Compensation
- Recruitment & Additional Physician Data
Step 4: Final operational sections and submission
- Square Footage
- Databases & Information Systems
- Government Affairs
- Review available sections and submit by August 31, 2026
Put the numbers to work
Using your survey results
These resources help you interpret the reports, track performance, and turn comparisons into action.
Previous Benchmarking Insights
Preview the kinds of insights available within AAOE benchmarking reports.
View SampleMonthly Tracking and Reporting
Use benchmarking data as an ongoing management tool, not a once-a-year exercise.
Open ResourceReport Overview and Formulas
Understand the calculations behind key benchmarking measures.
Open ResourceTips and Tricks to Maximize Results
Get more value from your comparisons and reporting tools.
Open ResourceUsing Your Benchmarking Data
Translate findings into practical conversations and operational decisions.
Open ResourceAccess Your Results
Log in to the AAOE Data Portal to access available benchmarking results.
Log In to the Data PortalNot participating this year? Previous results are also available for purchase.
Purchase Benchmarking ResultsQuick answers
Before you talk yourself out of starting
Do I have to complete the entire survey?
No. Select the online tier that fits your practice and complete the sections for which you have available data and that will provide useful benchmarks. Partial Excel and provider-only options are also available.
Can multiple people help complete it?
Yes. Divide sections among colleagues who already manage the relevant reports or data. The suggested schedule can also help with staff assignments.
What if we already completed OrthoForum or OrthoConnect?
You are closer than you think. Submit the Benchmarking Survey, Salary Survey, and CPT Codes files through the AAOE Data Portal or email them to data@aaoe.net.
What if I cannot find my survey link?
Email data@aaoe.net and the AAOE team will resend your unique link.
Is the data secure?
AAOE securely collects data from orthopedic practices of different sizes and settings. Files may be uploaded through the AAOE Data Portal.
Who can help me decide what to submit?
Contact data@aaoe.net. Share what your practice has already completed or what data is available, and the team will help you identify the best option.
Ready to see what your numbers are trying to tell you?
Start with the data you already have. Complete the sections that matter most. Ask for help when you need it. Final submissions are due August 31, 2026.