college connection
college connection
LEARNING IN PRACTICE
ACCOUNTABILITY
CASE SUMMARY
The member examined a 15-year-old small
dog. The dog had a history of chronic
pyelonephritis, and dental disease and had
received regular care for both issues. The dog
had weight loss, inappetance, weakness, and
small dark bowel movements.
The dog was hospitalized for diagnostic
testing and treatment. The dog was
diagnosed and treated for a gastric ulcer and
pancreatitis.
When the clients arrived several days later to
pick up their dog, they learned the dog had
just had a seizure. The dog was discharged.
Over the next several hours, the dog had
more seizures and the clients contacted
another veterinary clinic where the dog was
euthanized.
A few days later, the client went to speak with
the member about the treatment provided by
the clinic. The conversation became heated
and ended with the member using curse
words and unprofessional language towards
the client. The member issued a written
apology.
CASE CONSIDERATIONS
College Connection
Upon review of the medical records the
panel noted the dog had been azotemic (had
elevated kidney enzymes) for several years,
and that this was a progressive situation.
There appears to have been an assumption
made that the dog’s clinical signs were from
chronic pyelonephritis, with no consideration
to other disease processes.
The panel was unable to determine if the
member understood there was the possibility
the dog was suffering from end stage renal
failure as opposed to primary pyelonephritis,
and that is what resulted in his progressive
weight loss, clinical signs, and development
of a gastric ulcer and ultimately seizures.
If this was the case, then no amount of extra
medication to control seizure activity would
have helped the dog and his prognosis for
recovery was very grave. If treatment was to
be undertaken at this stage, the clients should
have been informed of their options. Humane
euthanasia was an appropriate option,
Key Considerations
Professional Practice
Standard - Medical Records
A quality record is fundamental to
quality practice.
Review the standard for details on
practice expectations.
A Guide to the Standard Medical Records
The Guide to the standard presents
suggestions on how to meet the
standard in practice.
www.cvo.org/Resources
Communications with
Clients
A College offers workshops to
assist members with communication
strategies in complex situations.
www.cvo.org/Workshops
The Portal is an online tool which supports
convenient and efficient communication
between the College and licensed members.
The portal is also the home for the online
licence renewal form.
The College is a public organization,
committed to transparency and customer
Facility
Accreditation
Emblem download today!
The new Facility Accreditation Emblem is now
available for use by accredited veterinary
facilities. Promote your commitment to
quality veterinary care and service by letting
everyone know your veterinary facility meets
provincial standards and supports safe,
quality animal care.
• Get the Facility Accreditation Emblem at
http://www.cvo.org/getemblem.
• Read and agree to the Guidelines for Use.
• Download the Emblem package.
• Upload the Emblem to your website’s
server.
• Link the Emblem to http://www.cvo.org/
facilityaccreditation.
For further information, contact Kim Huson,
Communications Specialist, [email protected].
LE
GE
OF VET
E
R
ACCREDITED
FACILITY
OF
O N TA R I
O
I ANS
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When the clients suggested it might be time
to euthanize the dog, the member assured
them the dog could be treated. The member
discharged the dog despite the fact it had
just had a seizure. When the clients asked
what to do if something happened with the
dog while at home, the member did not
provide them with an emergency service but
told them to look in the yellow pages.
When the client met with the member to
discuss the case after the dog’s death,
the member behaved in an inappropriate,
insensitive and unprofessional manner. The
panel was disappointed by the member’s
unprofessional behaviour to the client,
especially knowing the client had just lost his
beloved pet. The panel acknowledges the
member did issue a formal apology for his
words.
service. Through the Professional Practice
Portal, licensed members can access
College resources and secure license,
incorporation and accreditation services at
their convenience.
AR
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The panel agreed with the allegation that
the member failed to properly manage and
treat the dog which resulted in the dog’s
unnecessary suffering.
especially after the dog developed seizure
activity.
The College is taking every opportunity
to improve its outreach and accessibility
to members of the public and to licensed
veterinarians. The new Professional Practice
Portal is one example.
IN
The panel reviewed all material and felt their
ability to draw any conclusions was hampered
by the lack of information in the medical
records. There was little or no detailed
information on complete physical examination
findings, assessment of medical condition,
assessment of laboratory data, thoughtful
process of potential rule outs for laboratory
abnormalities or indication of communication
with clients. As well, there wasn’t any
indication of prognosis and treatment options.
The panel directed the member to review his
professional obligations to maintain complete
medical records.
online area now available for licence renewal
L
written & verbal communication are key in client interactions
Professional Practice Portal
THE CO
Members of the veterinary profession have a responsibility to uphold standards to ensure the public has access to safe,
quality veterinary care. When those standards are compromised, the College responds. Every veterinarian can learn from
these situations and publishing the details of complaints received and resolved is intended to support that learning. The
example below is taken from an actual case and is offered as a self-reflection tool to improve practice across the province.
www.cvo.org/portal
The College is pleased to offer licensed
veterinarians a new opportunity to
communicate with the College. Check it out!
Heads Up – This Could Be You!
A small animal clinic in the process of
hiring a veterinarian, posted an ad on a
classified website. Resumes started coming
to the hiring manager and the selection
process started based on availability and
experience. The interview process began
and each candidate was given an interview
appointment with the practice owner.
References were contacted and based on
these the candidate was selected.
An on the job session was then conducted to
assure that the selected candidate had the
communication skills necessary to manage
clients and staff. The veterinarian showed
professionalism towards patients, clients and
staff, inclusive of veterinary medical skills.
And, equally important, the veterinarian
provided a CVO licence number.
Three and a half months passed and the
hired veterinarian practised veterinary
medicine at my clinic.
One day a CVO inspector visited my practice
unannounced. The question was whether
the hired veterinarian was practising as he/
she did not hold a CVO licence to practice in
Ontario. I was not aware of the fact that the
hired veterinarian did not hold a valid CVO
licence.
Looking back, I did not verify the validity of
this CVO licence number. But understanding
this unfortunate information, I immediately
terminated the employment of this
veterinarian.
Further, I implemented a change in the hiring
process; which now includes a check of a
candidate’s licensure before an invitation for
interview.
So, my lesson, ask questions about the CVO
licensure in checking new hires. They must
hold a VALID CVO licence. Your reputation is
on the line as the owner.
Lessons learned:
Practice owner
• Check every candidate on the CVO website
for a valid licence BEFORE hiring
• Have a doubt, call the CVO office.
Candidate
• Do not apply for a job before you obtain a
CVO Licence
• Inform the practice owner if you do not
have a CVO licence and when you will have
it. At least the practice owner is not going
to schedule you for work before you get it
• Have a doubt, call the CVO office.
Respectfully, a colleague
Fall 2015 / 7