Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat Friendly Practices lead to more cat tests and diagnoses
By St Denis, Kelly et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2023·St. Denis Veterinary Professional Corporation, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cat Friendly Practice improves feline visits, resulting in increased laboratory testing and increased diagnosis of certain common feline conditions.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that cat-friendly veterinary practices led to more visits and better diagnostic testing for cats. These practices saw a 12% increase in visits that included tests like bloodwork and urinalysis, helping to identify more health issues in cats. Owners at these clinics were more likely to bring their cats in for multiple tests during a single visit, which helped catch problems earlier. Overall, cats visiting cat-friendly practices received more thorough care and were diagnosed with more conditions than those at regular clinics.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Cat Friendly Practices (CFPs) were compared with non-CFP control practices to determine whether CFPs had an increased proportion of clinical visits, number of visits per cat per year and inclusion of diagnostic testing. To measure diagnostic testing behavior, the numbers and types of tests analyzed and clinically relevant findings were compared. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis comparing CFPs and non-CFPs, clinic financial data and associated diagnostic tests from a commercial laboratory for 2018 and 2021 were analyzed. Data were stratified based on visit type and included revenue per visit type, revenue per patient, the number of visits per year and the proportion of visits that included diagnostic testing. Analyses of clinical findings for June 2021 to June 2022 examined clinical findings associated with biochemistry, complete blood count, urinalysis and thyroid testing categories at diagnostic patient visits, the proportion of clinical visits in which each finding was observed, the volume of testing categories as a proportion of clinical visits, and the proportion of diagnostic visits with one, two, three or four testing categories. RESULTS: The average revenue per feline visit and visits that included diagnostic testing were higher at CFPs. There was no difference in the proportion of wellness visits; however, CFPs had higher mean visits per year per patient. CFPs performed diagnostic testing at 12% more clinical visits, and had higher annual revenue per feline patient for all visits and for visits including diagnostic testing. CFPs had higher odds of patients having >1 visit that included bloodwork or urinalysis. They were more likely to include all four testing categories and less likely to include only one category at a diagnostic visit. CFPs identified a higher number of cats with clinical findings. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: CFPs exhibited unique diagnostic testing behavior by performing more diagnostic tests more frequently and identifying a higher number of cats with abnormal findings.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37961891/