How Applied Behavior Analysis Can Improve Healthcare Systems
When most people think about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) , their minds often go straight to autism services. But what if ABA could do more than just support individual clients? What if we could use it to improve how entire systems function—like hospitals, schools, or even our own businesses?
That’s exactly what a recent study published in Frontiers in Health Services explored. And if you're involved in ABA business consulting , ABA practice management , or trying to create more ethical, efficient systems, this study is worth your attention.
What Is Low-Value...
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The study focused on a common problem in healthcare: low-value care (LVC) . That’s when professionals provide treatments or services that don’t actually help the client or patient. In this case, the behavior being targeted was doctors ordering x-rays for knee pain (knee arthrosis) even though clinical guidelines said they weren’t necessary.
The researchers didn’t blame the doctors. They didn’t push new policies. Instead, they used a simple ABA-based approach:
- Provide education about best practices.
- Give the doctors feedback on how often they ordered unnecessary x-rays.
And it worked. The doctors reduced their use of unnecessary tests just by seeing their own data and getting a little context. That’s ABA for system improvement in action—and it’s something every ABA provider can borrow from.
This Is About More Than X-Rays—It’s About What You Do in Your Practice
This study isn’t just for healthcare executives. It’s for anyone running or growing an ABA company. Whether you’re supporting startups through ABA Business Leaders Membership , creating tools like an Employee Handbook for ABA Practices , or helping with ABA practice audits , this example shows how behavior science helps you improve operations.
Think about your practice. Are there:
- Staff behaviors that aren’t aligned with your values?
- Repetitive inefficiencies in your intake or billing?
- Missed deadlines for documentation or supervision?
- Team members doing things because “that’s how it’s always been done”?
Those are all behavior patterns. And ABA gives us the tools to change them.
Use ABA to Improve Leadership and Team Behavior
If your team struggles with consistency, communication, or accountability, the solution probably isn’t “more training.” The solution is to understand the system they’re working in.
That’s why practices benefit from tools like:
- A Client Handbook for ABA services to set expectations.
- A structured onboarding system that reinforces company values.
- Checklists and feedback built into performance reviews.
The science of ABA tells us that behavior happens in context . Your job as a leader isn’t just to manage people—it’s to manage the environment that shapes their decisions.
How to Apply This in Real Life
You don’t need a research grant to use this approach. You can take inspiration from this study and apply it right now.
Pick one behavior in your company that’s wasting time, money, or creating stress. Then:
- Define it clearly. Example: “BCBAs completing treatment plans more than 5 days after due date.”
- Gather baseline data. Don’t judge—just look.
- Educate. Let your team know why this matters, what the ideal behavior looks like, and how they’ll be supported.
- Provide feedback. Show individual or group-level trends.
- Reinforce progress. Celebrate changes, recognize improvements, and build it into your culture.
This process is especially powerful when layered into your ABA therapy business plan or practice audit strategy . It builds long-term capacity instead of relying on short-term fixes.
Behavioral Systems Build Sustainable, Ethical Practices
If you're serious about compliance for ABA providers , rate negotiations , or reducing turnover, you need more than policies. You need systems that make ethical, effective behavior easier to follow.
For example:
- Use ABA principles when negotiating rates. Look at payer behavior patterns and what incentives shape their decisions. That’s rate negotiations ABA-style .
- Want to prevent burnout and increase retention? Shape your company culture using feedback, reinforcement, and clear boundaries.
- Struggling with supervision quality? Create a supervision checklist and use direct observation to identify behavioral patterns that need support.
This isn’t just good management—it’s behavioral science applied to leadership.
This Is the Future of ABA Practice Management
ABA shouldn’t stop at the therapy room door. You can use it in how you hire, train, onboard, supervise, negotiate, bill, market, and scale. The very best ABA practice owners are already doing this. They’re integrating behavior analysis into their business models, not just their client plans.
If you’re just starting an ABA practice , this is how you avoid burnout and build a strong foundation. If you’re already running a company, this is how you level up—by focusing on ABA practice management through the lens of systems, not just strategy.
Final Thoughts: Use the Science You Already Know
This study is a reminder that we’re sitting on one of the most powerful tools for business growth and culture building: behavior analysis. Whether you're helping a family, training a tech, or writing your next ABA therapy business plan , the science doesn’t change. But the way you use it can.
Let’s stop thinking of ABA as just a service model. It’s a leadership model. It’s a business model. And it’s a framework for building companies that are ethical, efficient, and sustainable.
If you want to check out the full study for yourself, here it is: 👉 Strategies to reduce low-value care – An applied behavior analysis using a single-case design
