Why does ATC work with primary veterinarians?
Veterinary rehabilitation is part of a patient's broader veterinary care.
The primary veterinarian and other veterinary specialists may already have important information about the patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, previous procedures and ongoing care.
ATC uses that information as part of the rehabilitation process.
Does rehabilitation require veterinary records?
ATC requests relevant veterinary records before a rehabilitation evaluation.
Those records help the rehabilitation veterinarian review the patient's medical history before or during the evaluation.
Depending on the patient, records may come from the primary veterinarian, specialty hospital, surgeon, neurologist, pain-management veterinarian, or other members of the veterinary care team.
Is a referral the same as medical records?
Not always.
Medical records provide clinical history and documentation.
A referral may communicate that another veterinarian is directing or recommending the patient to ATC or considers participation appropriate.
The exact information needed depends on the type of service being requested.
Can a veterinarian refer a patient directly?
Yes.
Veterinary offices can send referral information and medical records to ATC through the clinic's referral process.
Owners may also begin the intake process, after which ATC can request the needed veterinary records.
Why can't owners provide the medical history themselves?
Owner observations are extremely valuable, but they are different from the veterinary medical record.
Medical records may contain diagnostic findings, procedures, medications, imaging results, and other information that may not be available from memory alone.
ATC uses both owner observations and veterinary information to better understand the patient.
Does ATC replace the primary veterinarian?
No.
ATC's rehabilitation services complement the patient's existing veterinary care.
The primary veterinarian continues to play an important role in the patient's overall health care.
Some patients also have specialists or other veterinarians involved in their care.
What if the patient is already seeing a specialist?
ATC can incorporate relevant records from specialty care into the rehabilitation intake process.
This may include records from surgery, neurology, orthopedics, pain management, or other veterinary specialties.
Owners should let ATC know when additional veterinary providers are involved so the most relevant information can be requested.
Are referrals only for medical rehabilitation?
No.
ATC may also request primary-veterinarian referral or clearance information for dogs participating in certain non-medical fitness activities.
This does not turn Fitness Club into medical rehabilitation.
It helps ATC confirm that the dog is appropriate for non-medical physical activity.
What happens after ATC receives the records?
Once the required information is available, the ATC team can continue the appropriate intake process.
For rehabilitation patients, that generally means moving toward scheduling the veterinary rehabilitation evaluation when appointments are available.
How can a veterinary office send a referral?
Veterinary teams can use the referral information available on the ATC website.
The referral page separates veterinary rehabilitation and non-medical fitness pathways so the appropriate information can be submitted.
