Caitlin Rivers
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Q: What are the benefits of in-house versus outside lab work?
Monica Dixon Perry
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When you offer such programs as senior pet screening, you may choose to do lab testing in your hospital or outsource this
work. Firstline Editorial Advisory Board member Caitlin Rivers, a veterinary assistant and technician supervisor at Metzger Animal Hospital
in State College, Pa., gives these benefits for in-house lab work:
- You get fast results, so doctors can discuss the results with clients before they go home.
- Doctors know about any reasons they shouldn't vaccinate the pet, such as a compromised immune system, right away. And clients
can get medications they need based on test results before they leave the clinic.
- You can keep the pet at the practice if you need additional tests, rather than asking the client to return.
- The client sees the results and value in the tests before paying.
Monica Dixon Perry, CVPM, a consultant with VMC Inc. in Evergreen, Colo., gives these benefits for outsourced lab work:
- It's less labor-intensive, so your team members have more time to cater to the patients that need your immediate attention.
- If you work with an established lab, you benefit from the knowledge of professionals with extensive experience and sometimes
specialization in interpreting the results.
- Outside labs are governed by agencies that oversee their policies and procedures.
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