Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

Nicola Smith — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 15:16:55 GMT

We have problems with some practices being slow as they have to authorise them with vet first. By far the worst though is a local practice still on card system who appear to lose most of their patient records!! Vets have to rely on what the client tells them has happened previously but then major issues if we need to make an insurance claim requiring the clinical history. Some companies have been understanding and we have just had to write a letter stating that previous vets have lost the notes but to our knowledge no history of that complaint but others refuse to deal with the claims without it. I have had clients get very upset about this but we are powerless - if they say they have lost the notes absolutely nothing we can do.

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

emmRAR — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 18:36:17 GMT

We have a couple of practices who always mess us about with sending histories over - one is always slow and we had to threaten to contact the RCVS to get one once , and another we just never received it!

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

Teri-Ann Baldwin — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 08:28:16 GMT

Thanks for all the replies.. I now have the full history and the client didn't have any debts with the practice so i don't know why they were doing it. I obviously understand that if you are a bad debtor they won't release history until treatment is paid for - i do work in a practice after all. I've received the other vets history too and was told as they are the same practice with a different branch they could have given that history, again i understand that you can't give other history's from other vets, but same practices with a different branch i thought would be okay?

It's okay now anyway, i have the histories. I was just a bit miffed that the only way they got sent was when i said 'X has an appointment in the next hour and i really need the history' and this animal has been on steroids for the last few months and then needed an op which we wouldn't have known otherwise and would have been frustrating for the owner as well.

I have had to do the whole 'i'm having some trouble...' scenario and get the owner to call and they've not known they've had a debt for x amount of months or years, oops for them!

But again thank you for the replies, some of them i'll bear in mind.. particularly the PDSA one, i didn't know they had to clear it but then i guess that's to make sure people aren't fraudulently claiming benefits and using them? My practice has trouble obtaining histories from a few practices it's near (and that goes for all our branches) even though we've been open 5+ years now.. I wish that practices would just all get along, i know it's competitive and everything but if we all kinda helped eachother out life would be easier :P

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

Julie-Anne Wilson — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 10:32:59 GMT

[quote user="Teri-Ann Baldwin"]

...they haven't included the history from the previous vets which i also asked for.

[/quote]

Now, I was always told that that's not your history to give. I only ever send our history and would expect the practice asking to contact the previous vets themselves. It's what I do when a client tells me they've been to 2 practices, I contact them both myself, I'd never ask a practice for a previous vets history.

On the actual topic, I found we had some trouble with the local vet when we first opened one of our new branches. We would never receive the history (it's still sometimes hard to get history and we've been open for 2 years now). I know when I phone PDSA for history, they have to clear it with a vet before sending but it usually doesn't delay it that long.

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

shelly jefferies — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 09:14:13 GMT

with regards to with hold the history although this is frustrating from your point of view image if they owe the practice they are leaving lots of money and they then do the same to you, just think perhaps the fact they are coming to you and have been registered with the practice you are getting history form and somewhere else before this......do they just move around alot or do they owe money at allo these places. I know it is a negative thought but it does happen.

As a practice we will not with hold patient history unless a bad debtor (to the extent a debt collection agency is in force.) in this case we would inform the practice wanting the history we had issues pending with the client but would inform the practice of any serious medical issues or long term meds.

with regards faxing the history now, we always say will email it today, if we want a history we always let the other practice know if we are needing it by a certain time.

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

Celine — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 21:33:21 GMT

Agree with Sal, I've been in practices where this happened with bad debtors (Yes yes I know it's not right but wasn't me making those decisions...)

Erm, it might be a bit naughty but you could always (as professionally as possible) phone the client the day before the appointment and say something like "I'm afraid we haven't had Fido's clinical history sent over to us, despite us asking your previous practice for it, do you think they might respond better if you ask them? I'm just a bit concerned this will mean a lot of you having to repeat yourself and extra tests for Fido..." and stand back and wait for them to get a tongue lashing, hehehe

Sadly I don't think it would be a good idea if you come out and ask them if they are a bad debtor at the other practice...

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

Sal the 1st — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 20:36:38 GMT

have come across practices with holding rads or blood results when there has been a bill still to be paid by the client at their practice

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

Teri-Ann Baldwin — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 11:19:39 GMT

Adding to that i sometimes feel that when i call certain practices they say 'i will fax that over now' and then i call back because i haven't received it and the animal is coming in in the next hour, get the same response.. then still nothing.. i obviously understand how busy practices are as i also work in a hugely busy practice but would rather be told 'i'm sorry we're very busy at the moment i will try and fax it before the appointment' rather than 'yes i'll do it now' because then i feel annoying :(

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

Teri-Ann Baldwin — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 11:03:38 GMT

I received only the last weeks worth of history which doesn't help and they haven't included the history from the previous vets which i also asked for. It's delaying this animals treatment which isn't ideal. I'm really stuck as obviously if this dog is on any medication we can't see it from the history or if the dog has any underlying conditions. Ah! I understand the point of view of history getting lost/not going to the right place but i think that history should always be sent and the clients contacted at another time because delaying treatment is awkward and not very good if the animal is on long term treatment. It's getting really annoying now especially as others are having the same problem and then when you mention the RCVS or that the animal is coming in for treatment they can suddenly send it with no problems.

Re: Trouble obtaining a history from another vets.

Jo Oakden — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 10:35:11 GMT

We haven't had problems getting history, but from the other perspective, I worked in a practice where the implemented a new rule that only the partners could send history for clients as they wanted to call the owners who were going to a new practice to find out why... (Whether that be right or wrong that is what they did) so that would inevitably delay history being received. At my current practice reception staff have to check with a vet or a nurse before they send the history over as we have had new reception staff and history has got into the wrong hands and caused problems! However, they are obliged to send history and can be reported if they don't. But sometimes practice protocols make the sending of history a bit slower and it requires a few requests to hurry it up!