• Vetiranary Medicine
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Communicate the need for preanesthetic testing

September 9, 2005

Preanesthetic testing helps protect your patients' health and decreases your practice's liability. Here's how to use a client consent form to educate pet owners about this medical service.

While you know that preanesthetic testing can help you identify pre-existing conditions and improve your patients' safety, your clients may not understand the need for such profiles. What's more, you could be liable if you don't inform clients of the risks associated with anesthesia. To overcome these challenges, Dr. Fred Metzger of Metzger Animal Hospital in State College, Pa., started using a client consent form for preanesthetic testing in 1996.

The form helps clients understand the purpose of the tests, likening them to tests a physician would run if the client were to undergo surgery. It outlines the three potential pet health screens patients could undergo, depending on the pet's age and health status. The form also explains how preanesthetic testing serves to establish baseline data for patients in case they become ill, says Dr. Metzger.

When Dr. Metzger, a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member, first started preanesthetic testing before anesthesia and surgery, he provided clients with the option to decline. Dr. Metzger says high-risk patients and geriatric animals were the most frequently tested patients. Since 1997, the practice requires preanesthetic testing before patients undergo anesthesia and surgery. He says only four clients in eight years have been upset about the protocol. The reason? Price, he says.

Advertisement

For clients who balk at the cost of the tests, Dr. Metzger doesn't flinch. "If clients refuse our preanesthetic protocol, I explain that we can't perform the procedure," he says. "If clients can't appreciate the benefits after we've explained them, our practice isn't a good fit for that client anyway. I don't worry about it; I want our practice team to put that energy into the clients who appreciate it."

Dr. Jim Irwin, owner of Sulphur Springs Veterinary Clinic in St. Louis is also a firm believer in mandatory preanesthetic testing. He believes optional testing may give clients the wrong message. "If you recommend testing but say you'll perform a procedure without it to save the client money, the pet owner is likely to think testing is less important," he says.

That's exactly the message these doctors don't want to send. And Dr. Metzger believes the profession as a whole is moving toward required testing. "Mandatory preanesthetic testing will become the standard of care," Dr. Metzger says. "You and your staff members need to explain the safety benefits to clients and review the tests with them when the patient goes home."

 Dr. Metzger's current client consent form for anesthesia and surgery explains that there are risks and no guarantees regarding the results that may be achieved. The form also reminds clients to ask any questions before signing.

To get you started on developing a client consent form for your practice, the form we link to below provides a quick explanation of sample preanesthetic testing protocols, explains the risks involved with anesthesia and surgery, and requires a client signature. Use this sample as a jumping off point to simplify the client education process and acquire consent to proceed.

Related Content:

Client Relations & Marketing
Hiring employees in line with your brand
Hiring employees in line with your brand
How to discuss finances with clients
How to discuss finances with clients
Treating patients with spectrum of care in mind
Treating patients with spectrum of care in mind

Advertisement

Latest News

The Vets expands to Raleigh, NC

Two pups find their forever homes while at Fetch Charlotte

Tools for building a growth mindset

The 5 Ws of veterinary diagnostics contracts

View More Latest News
Advertisement