life with technology

So as I write our first blog, we are having a power outage.  We are prepared for such an incident so our hospital can continue to function.  We have back up generators, back up phones, back up lights, you name it.  As much as technology changes and "improves" in the blink of an eye, there is still no substitute for human contact and good old fashion face to face communication.  We tend to rely on phones, text, computers, Facebook, news feeds, for everything from saying hello to a friend to getting the latest weather update.  I right now am able to post this blog because I remembered to charge my laptop last night so I can stay "connected" with the world.... this is a good thing.

Communication is the key in veterinary medicine just like any other area of our lives.  Without it, there are breakdowns and if you will "outages".  When we see a patient, we rely on the human client as well as the referring veterinarian to get the information we need.  We rely on the physical exam of the animal as well as what he is communicating to us with his body language and of course "verbal" communication.  Is he barking, growling, whining, whimpering, etc....are his ears back, tail down, tail up, hair standing up?  If so, he is telling us to proceed with caution.  Of course, most of our clients come to us in pain or have been in an accident, rare is the day we see anything healthy and happy unless they are coming in just to say hi (which we love it when this happens!).

It is especially crucial to have great communication because such a large part of what we do is not only medical treatment of the patient but educating the client.  When a pet is diagnosed with an illness, there is a change in the daily routine, many follow up visits and re checks and constant communication with the referring doctor.

Technology is great and if it is easier for a client to email, text, fax, facebook , whatever, we will take it.  However we can get the information we are open to it, that said, nothing beats looking at the person you are talking to and physically watching the patient in front of you.