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Follow these 6 easy steps to ensure success.
- Create a standardized protocol for your practice.
- Train staff about the medical message and new practice standards.
- Determine your pricing.
- Make sure your computer system integrates your new testing protocol and pricing.
- Implement your new protocol.
- Track your compliance and measure performance.
1. Standardize your protocol.
Creating a preanesthetic protocol is considered best practice. Meet with your medical staff and determine what protocol is best for you and your patients.
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The following is an industry-suggested protocol.
*The Diagnostic Health Panel
(DHP) gives you a choice when establishing a minimum database; amylase and lipase monitor pancreatic
health, and GGT better characterizes cholestatic liver disease in cats and dogs. This is the
recommended testing protocol for any patient when illness is suspected prior to an anesthetic event.
†ALB (albumin) plays a role in maintaining oncotic pressure and regulating blood volume as
well as transporting many hormones, drugs and other substances used during anesthesia. ALB is also
used to determine GLOB (globulin) levels.
2. Train your staff.
- Determine roles and responsibilities and work together to define who is going to do what.
For example:
- Technicians: Educate clients.
- Receptionists: Secure authorizations.
- Veterinarians: Make recommendations.
- What tools will you use (brochure, consent forms, etc.)?
3. Determine your pricing.
- A well-patient, preanesthetic workup can be priced lower, for example, than a senior pet
or perhaps an unwell pet workup.
- Determine the cost you feel comfortable passing on to your clients. This will be a price
that covers the value of the workup, but won’t compromise patient care due to pricing
constraints.
4. Integrate your computer system.
- Create “reason codes” that facilitate utilization of agreed-upon protocols.
- Help capture lost charges by creating codes that are harmonized with protocols.
5. Implement your protocol.
- Make it happen. Set a date for launch and set expectations with your staff. You’ll be
surprised how comfortable everyone feels knowing they are providing the best possible
care to patients, and how seamless the change will be for your clients, who want only
the best for their pets.
- Relax. You’ll feel comfortable that you’ve done everything to elevate the quality of care
you deliver as a veterinary professional. You’ve reduced the risk to your patients and
ensured that you keep your clients’ trust.
6. Track your compliance.
- Review the number of patients you see in a given month for anesthetic events
and compare it to the number of preanesthetic panels you run.
- Review the number of times you offered preanesthetic testing and compare it to the
number of times testing was accepted.
- Look for opportunities your team may have missed to provide the level of care you want
your patients and clients to receive.
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