Compliance Audit

Doing analysis with a laptop

We carry out Compliance Audits on behalf of our customers, to identify where animal health and practice performance can be improved through better Clinical and Client Compliance. On the clinical side we analyse whether the veterinary team has made recommendations consistent with your practice's healthcare guidelines. On the client side we examine the proportion of of your team's recommendations that have been implemented by clients. Improvement in both areas leads to better quality healthcare for patients and also generates better performance for the practice.

Our work is based on an American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) paper produced in 2003 that is the most comprehensive academic work in this area to date.

Methodology

The approach we take for the assessment is to examine the clinical history of a random sample of 30 dogs and 30 cats that have attend the surgery in the previous 12 months. We look at 8 areas of treatment:

  • Vaccination
  • Worming and Flea Treatment
  • Preanaesthetic blood testing
  • Dental
  • Therapeutic Diet
  • Microchip identification
  • Senior Screening
  • Chronic Medication Screening

First, we assess the level of overall compliance: the proportion of patients requiring a treatment who actually receive it. We then break this figure down into the two types of compliance, as appropriate for the different types of treatment. For Clinical Compliance we assess the level of recorded recommendation made, compared to the treatments required by the patients. Required treatments are determined in relation to the diagnosis, your practice guidelines or, in certain cases (such as dental), in relation to the incidence of the condition in the pet population as a whole. For Client Compliance we then look at the treatments performed for the client in relation to the level of recommendation. We apply the compliance ratios determined in the random samples to the populations of active patients of dogs and cats in your practice as a whole.

Analysis

The gap between 100% compliance and actual compliance on both measures, represents the total theoretical opportunity cost to patients and the practice, and hence the maximum potential for improvement in both healthcare and revenue.

In most areas, with the exception of for example microchip IDs, there is a range of factors that work against achieving 100% compliance - although figures of 80-90% certainly can be achieved. For this reason our model modifies the objective to a Practice Target and an Intermediate Practice Target. We report the financial opportunity against the Practice Target. For each scenario we assess the number of treatments that would be performed and calculate the number of untreated animals and the revenue benefit to the practice.

Typical Findings

The AAHA paper found that overall practices overestimate their level of compliance by 50%. Consistent with this finding, our analysis shows that the potential benefit is material. For example if a practice is achieving an overall 50% total compliance level then achieving 80% compliance can add 60% to existing revenues (30%/50%). The process of improving compliance is a team effort that may require a period of three years to achieve the full extent of the improvement. We provide you with both the professional practice management guidance and the technology to achieve the identified benefits.

If you would like to find out more, please get in touch via the Contact form, by clicking on the button below.