Senior Testing Education Enhances Care and Compliance
Senior wellness screenings reveal abnormalities in 23 percent of dogs and 17 percent of cats with normal physical exam results, according to a 1999 study conducted by Antech Diagnostics. Dr. Daniel Brod, co-owner of Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Littleton, Colo., uses this statistic during wellness exams to communicate the importance of annual senior testing to clients. He says that in about one of four senior dogs he tests, he identifies early disease processes, such as renal, liver, or thyroid disease-that's about 15 percent higher than in younger dogs at his practice. And he says that the study results mirror his findings in senior feline patients as well.
CASE STUDY: SENIOR TESTING EDUCATION ENHANCES CARE AND COMPLIANCE
Senior wellness screenings reveal abnormalities in 23 percent of dogs and 17 percent of cats with normal physical exam results, according to a 1999 study conducted by Antech Diagnostics. Dr. Daniel Brod, co-owner of Deer Creek Animal Hospital in Littleton, Colo., uses this statistic during wellness exams to communicate the importance of annual senior testing to clients. He says that in about one of four senior dogs he tests, he identifies early disease processes, such as renal, liver, or thyroid diseasethat's about 15 percent higher than in younger dogs at his practice. And he says that the study results mirror his findings in senior feline patients as well.
In 2002, the healthcare team at Deer Creek Animal Hospital began to focus on senior wellness and testing. When clients arrive with senior dogs and cats, the receptionists hand them brochures that discuss the special needs of senior pets and checklists that ask clients to assess their pets' health in key areas. The receptionists then use a large, red stamp on the patient's file to remind the doctors to talk about the checklist and blood testing. The doctors note on the stamped area whether the clients accepted or rejected senior blood testing.
"The checklist we ask pet owners to complete offers a comprehensive overview of the body systems," says Dr. Brod. "Every 'yes' marked by the client is an entry point for discussion. For example, if the client says she has noticed an increase in the pet's water consumption, I'll talk with her about possible causes, such as kidney disease or diabetes. The checklist highlights areas where I need to probe more deeply and gives me a lead-in to discuss blood work."
"This approach works because our whole team is on board," says Dr. Brod. "And we start educating clients early, too. When these senior dogs and cats were puppies and kittens, we began stressing the need for yearly blood tests. It's just the type of blood test we do that changes."
Deer Creek Animal Hospital ran 835 senior canine blood profiles in 2003, a 56 percent increase from 536 profiles in 2002. (The practice doesn't track compliance for senior feline patients in the same way because many receive the standard feline profile.) Clients with senior dogs paid $149 for the six-test panel, which includes a blood profile, CBC, urinalysis, total T4, free T4 by equilibrium dialysis, and urine protein/creatinine ratio. After senior-citizen and multiple-pet discounts, the profiles generated $116,978 in revenue in 2003. Subtracting lab costs of $40 per panel, the practice earned $83,578 for senior canine blood testing.
Dr. Brod says that compared with last year, compliance is up this year. "We're running more tests, and as a result, we're detecting illnesses in patients earlier, potentially saving more lives," he says.
