The excitement generated by the issue of improving veterinary medical records is on the level of mowing the lawn--each needs to be done. Medical records are the backbone of a veterinary practice. They provide valuable information concerning the care provided to animals. Yet, discussions with practitioners suggest minimal attention is paid to these documents. In private practice, for example, medical data are typically reviewed the next time the animal is presented for care or when the client calls with a concern or to ask questions. The feeling is that there has been essentially no other perceived need for medical information from primary care facilities. We talk often about what is in the medical records but infrequently about what needs to be included in a quality listing of medical information. Academia, for example, emphasizes recording and reviewing medical data, but there is apparently little educational emphasis on identifying the critical information a practitioner will need for his or her records in private practice. On graduation, the practitioner will use or adapt a commercially designed system to meet his or her needs.
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