Client Visiting Privileges

Subject to modification by the VTH Administrative Team without Board approval.

Printable PDF: Client Visiting Privileges Policy

Policy

The hospital recognizes the importance of visits for both the client and the patient and wants to make those visits go as smoothly as possible while maintaining quality of care for all patients. Clients will be allowed to visit hospitalized animals daily including weekends. The time of the visit will be determined by the attending clinician in conjunction with the client. All clients, including veterinary students, hospital staff and referring veterinarians, will be asked to visit by appointment.

Guidelines

1. The attending clinician will have the responsibility of setting expectations with clients about when and how visits will take place while the animal is in the hospital.
2.  All client visits need to be arranged with the attending clinician (or the senior student assigned to the case). 
3. Since clients are not allowed to stay overnight with their animal, clinicians will call a client day or night if there’s a significant change in their animal’s condition.
4. Clients are not allowed in an isolation area.
5. All VTH personnel should be mindful of a client’s presence and remain professional in their communication about the patient and client.

 To ensure the quality of care to patients in the Small Animal ICU, these additional rules apply:

1. Whenever possible, the animal should leave SA ICU to visit with the owners. 
2. If the visit must be in SA ICU, advance arrangements must be made with the SA ICU technician on duty 
   to be sure that the visit will not be disruptive.
3. The clinician or student on the case must be present in SA ICU during the entire visit and handle client questions. The SA ICU staff cannot answer questions regarding the patient for the client.
4. The visit should be limited to a reasonable amount of time.
5. The client should wear gloves while handling the patient.
6. The SA ICU staff reserves the right to ask any client to leave SA ICU if a problem arises.
   
   

Procedure (if applicable) 

1. The attending clinician or student will inform Client Services which doctor or student to page when the client arrives.
2. The attending clinician or student will inform the client who to contact upon their arrival.

Definitions (if applicable) 

Clients: Animal owners or their representatives utilizing hospital services. VTH clients are a diverse group including the general public, referring veterinarians, veterinary students and hospital employees.

Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH) – The collective clinical services of the Large Animal Clinic, Midwest Equine, the Small Animal Clinic, and the Veterinary Medicine South Clinic.