Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Automated in-clinic hematology instruments for small animal practitioners: what is available, what can they really do, and how do i make a choice?
- Journal:
- The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Welles, Elizabeth G
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathobiology · United States
Plain-English summary
Having an in-clinic hematology instrument can greatly benefit your veterinarian's practice by providing quick blood test results, which helps in making faster and better decisions for your pet's care. When choosing such a device, it's important to think about the initial cost, ongoing expenses for supplies, training for staff, and maintenance. These machines can help monitor your pet's health more closely and allow staff to improve their skills. Overall, adding this type of equipment should enhance the quality of care your pet receives and can also help the practice financially.
Abstract
To have an in-clinic hematology instrument in your practice and how it is used are decisions that precede the purchase of an instrument. Advantages and limitations of the various instruments should be considered. Initial purchase cost, reagent/disposable costs, costs of training personnel in the use and care of the instrument, and service/repair contract costs need to be considered. Once the decision is made to have an in-office hematology instrument in your practice you should benefit from having nearly immediate CBC data results that enable you to provide better quality medicine, more rapid clinical decisions, more closely monitor patients for complications of disease or response to treatment. It should also generate revenue and allow some of your staff members to expand and develop their technical skills as they learn the nuances of a new diagnostic tool and how to provide you with the most accurate CBC information. In the final assessment, the addition of an in-office hematology instrument should improve the quality and efficiency of the medical care you provide patients and generate additional practice income.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22285153/