Communicating with referring doctors

How can I encourage general practitioners to refer cases that are beyond their expertise? And how do I do this without coming across as self-serving?

The answer is communication, says Ann Selander, CVT, CVPM, MBA, hospital administrator at WestVet Emergency & Specialty Center in Garden City, Idaho. Start with preemptive efforts. For example, host a continuing education seminar that focuses on when to refer, or issue an invitation to your case rounds.

Ann Selander, CVT, CVPM, MBA

Also, don't be afraid to pick up the phone and initiate a dialogue about a case that may have benefited from an earlier referral, Selander says. Keep these conversations two-way and try to understand all the circumstances of the case. For example, maybe the generalist wasn't aware that you offered a certain procedure or the client was limited by financial constraints. "We all want to proceed with what's medically best," Selander says. "But we should do so with all of the information available and support each others' efforts."

Regardless of the situation, learn from these open conversations. Veterinary medicine is progressing too quickly to let egos get in the way. "We have to separate competition from good medicine and ethics," Selander says. "You won't seem self-serving if your efforts are in the best interest of the pet, and remember, it's also about how you say it."