How Apologies Can Come Back to Bite YouNovember 18, 2015Originally published in the November 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Not everybody agrees that you should apologize when you make a mistake. (See “What to do When You Make a Mistake in Your Vet Clinic.”) In fact, liability organizations discourage veterinarians from doing so. We asked David Carser, BVSc, president of the Veterinary Defence Association to share his opinion. Q. Dr. Carser, you advise caution before apologizing to a pet owner. Yes. The real problem with giving an apology is there is always a risk that it might come back to bite you. And in some situations an apology would actually be inappropriate. It is fundamentally important to determine from the outset whether the event falls into the liability categories — in ascending order of gravity — of: mere adverse outcome, mere oversight, mere medical error, professional misconduct or negligence. It would not be appropriate to apologize for an event that fits the first three “mere” categories. And it could turn out to be a really bad idea to do so in the last two categories. Q. Isn’t apologizing …
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24 Hour Emergency Vet ClinicsNovember 17, 2015There are more than 102,000 veterinarians and 510 American College of Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care (ACVECC) board-certified diplomates in practice nationwide in 2014. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), 24-hour emergency vet clinics and the veterinarians who staff these hospitals serve an important purpose for pet owners. Yet, exactly what are 24 hour emergency vet clinics and who are the veterinarians that operate them? What is a 24-hour Vet Clinic? A 24-hour emergency vet clinic is open all the time to receive animals for emergency care, according to the AVMA. Veterinary emergency hospitals can operate after a general practice closes, or it can be an autonomous part of a larger animal hospital. This is in contrast to a general veterinary practice that has daytime and limited weekend hours, and which may not always have the capabilities to provide specialized medical treatment beyond routine care. Before you ask where a 24-hour animal hospital near you is, you’ll need to determine if it is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). This
What to do When You Make a Mistake in Your Vet ClinicNovember 16, 2015Originally published in the November 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! 4 p.m. It’s time to catch up with medical records. This morning you removed a “routine” mass, likely a boring lipoma, from Kiki’s right chest wall. As you review your previous notes, you get a funny feeling in your six-pack area. There is a mention in your previous notes about a mass on the left chest wall. Strangely enough, the consent form says only “skin mass on chest wall.” No side is specified. Who’s to blame? The front desk? The head veterinary technician? The technician who admitted the patient? The assistant who clipped the wrong area? Your systolic blood pressure goes up a bit. 4:05 p.m. You rush to the kennel and double check. Sure enough, a similar mass is on the other (and correct) side of the chest and should have been removed. How could they have missed it? How could you have missed it? Your mouth becomes dry and your palms get sweaty, and you realize that …
Why You Should Use This Phrase: Guilt Will ComeNovember 12, 2015There is probably no question as difficult to answer as when a veterinary client asks, “When will I know it’s time?” in regard to euthanizing their pet. We cringe, because we know when it’s coming, and because it’s not an easy question to answer. I learned from my good friend Val that there is an easy way to discuss “quality of life” with a pet owner. Basically, you ask the family, what five things does the pet enjoy the most? Going for a car ride? Chasing the squirrels in the yard? Snuggling in bed? A favorite toy or treat? Then watch and see if, and when, the enjoyment in those things becomes less and less. The pet may be too weak to chase squirrels, too nauseated to eat a favorite treat, and seem uninterested in riding in the car. Perhaps the family cat is choosing the closet to sleep in, rather than the bed. These are signals that the quality of life is declining. That will help the pet owner judge when the time is approaching. What about another phrase we use at times, when we tell the pet owner, “You can see it …
Typical Veterinary ServicesNovember 11, 2015Whether you’re thinking about getting a new pet, you’ve probably wondered what happens on their first vet visit. Let’s discusses what typically happens on your new pet’s first veterinary visit. Veterinary Services on a Puppy’s Initial Visit First, you need to establish your puppy’s health profile. That’s often established by filling out a questionnaire and talking with a veterinary technician along with your veterinarian. Starting with a questionnaire, your veterinarian will document basic information about your puppy. Typical information includes the puppy’s: Breed Name Gender Weight Body temperature Your veterinarian will also ask your basic contact information. The next step includes a more hands-on approach to evaluate your new puppy’s physical well-being in the exam room. A stool sample for analysis is needed to determine if your puppy needs treatment for internal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms and whipworms. How do these internal parasites affect your puppy? Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine says: “Roundworms look like spaghetti noodles when seen in the stool. Puppies may contract these worms from their mother prior to birth. Infection causes …
How to Use Digital Tools to Enhance Your Veterinary BusinessNovember 2, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Digital media aren’t simply a pastime for kids thumbing their way across an iPhone screen. Technological advents like iPhones and easily accessible Wi-Fi have caused a major shift for people of all ages. Sure, businesses that choose to market toward millennials have a huge user base to do so. But when we look at who is using social media with the highest rate of growth, it’s actually the baby boomers. Nielsen, a world leader in information measurement and analytics, notes that “Internet users over the age of 55 are driving the growth of social networking through the mobile Internet.” While this statistic might at first be surprising, it’s a concentrate indicator of the multigenerational impact that the Internet truly has. Regardless of media portrayal or common misconception, new forms of digital media like emailing, social media and even texting aren’t media and even texting aren’t only being used by younger demographics. Nielsen and top-performing veterinary practices know the same thing: Digital media are tools for people of all ages. While some might argue that …
The Power of a Phrase: How are YOU doing?October 29, 2015We are talking again today about the power of words, and how just a simple phrase can mean so much to your clients. We are all well aware of, and used to, those clients who are considered “high maintenance.” They ask a lot from us of our time, our energy and our patience at times. They ask a lot of questions, outwardly display their negative emotions, and assumedly do not realize we have five other clients waiting on us. They can be exasperating. As I like to kid around and say, they "suck the life out of us." When they finally leave the exam room, we take a big deep sigh of relief, and often vent our feelings of frustration to the nearest coworker. But it might be time — or way past time — to look at why these veterinary clients act the way they do. They are reaching, stretching, pulling our resources from us, yes. But maybe, just maybe, that is because they have not been willingly GIVEN our resources, or those of our colleagues, in the past. Perhaps …
Go Pink?October 27, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Chico quivered pitifully under the stainless steel exam table, peeking furtively in my general direction every few seconds––probably to be sure I hadn’t suddenly altered course. He was clearly calculating his escape options. As if my patient’s disapproval wasn’t enough, his person appeared equally dissatisfied with where this particular veterinary visit was headed. “Good thing Chico’s colorblind, Doc, otherwise he’d be out the door by now for sure.” Nice. Original, too. It was one of many statements I’ve come to expect from a certain contingent of my clientele. But that’s OK. I’ve learned to accept these ill-mannered remarks as the cost of doing business. Too bad I didn’t elect enormous breast implants instead, I’ve often mused. Those demand a degree of verbal prudence my pink hair is unlikely to ever recruit. Let me explain. A few years back I submitted a column on the pedestrian topic of shoes. Another time it was tattoos. Even more recently I tackled certain management gurus’ politically objectionable fashion …
Why Veterinarians Expect More From Diagnostic EquipmentOctober 21, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Veterinarians today expect sophisticated diagnostic technology that gets results quickly, those who sell the technology say. Jane Robertson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, director of medical affairs at Idexx Laboratories Inc. of Westbrook, Maine, said most practitioners are accustomed to collecting a pet’s blood sample for in-office and reference laboratory testing and quickly getting results. “The modern veterinarian wants the best for her clients and pets, and as a result, relies heavily on sophisticated diagnostic testing and technology capable of quickly and accurately identifying health conditions,” Dr. Robertson said. In-clinic testing, in particular, continues to gain popularity because it enables veterinarians to provide real-time care, experts like Robertson say. Robertson pointed out two products that build on this standard practice: Idexx’s Total T4 Test, which enables in-clinic thyroid testing by adding the test to existing panels, and its Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) test, a kidney test that permits earlier diagnosis of kidney disease in dogs and cats than existing methods. “The classic clinical signs of hyperthyroidism in cats include …
Does Your Service Match Your Medicine?October 19, 2015Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Veterinary Practice News. Enjoyed this article? Then subscribe today! Because pet owners choose where to seek veterinary care, your clinic operates in both health care and service industries. Pay attention to details the next time you go shopping and see which experiences you could copy in your veterinary hospital. Here are easy-to-implement ideas from the service industry. 1) Step Out From Behind the Counter When I bought mascara at Nordstrom department store, the associate walked around the counter and delivered my shopping bag with a smile that communicated, “We appreciate your business.” At most veterinary hospitals, receptionists sit behind tall counters and computers block eye contact with clients. For a service-centered approach, the receptionist should stand to greet clients when they approach the desk. Body language communicates that you’re eager to help. When clients pay for prescriptions or other items, walk around the counter to deliver the medication and receipt. Close with an appreciation statement: “Thanks for visiting us …
