Veterinary Medicine and Practice 25 Years in the Future and the Economic Steps to Get There (2002)

Abstract

This is another in a long list of books written by Dr. Tom Catanzaro, this time with the assistance of Terry Hall DVM, CFP, a veterinary financial manager. In my view, it is perhaps one of his most important books. In one chapter, the authors discuss the “Mega Study” undertaken by the AVMA, AAHA, and AAVMC showing that we seem to do a good job describing the state of veterinary medicine as it stands today (in significant doom and gloom terms). Yet, despite the facts that we collect and present, the profession seems slow to change to systems that fit the changing times. The book starts with a look at the fundamental attributes of a successful practice today. It then proceeds with a comparison with what it was like for practice 25 years ago, showing how dramatically different we are now — and how dramatically different we will be 25 years from now. “The next 25 years will be a combination of evolution and revolution” and we are already seeing some practices change the model with outpatient care provided by a veterinarian-nurse team using multiple consultation rooms and the hiring of professional administrators. The book uses an interesting method to get today's practitioner to start thinking out of the box through a storyline by which the practice owner learns the principles of change. This story takes us from the “traditional” (autocratic) practice of today to the “modern” (self-directed teams) practice of the coming years. The “enablers” for this new practice will be remote telemetry, nurse practitioners, e-mail consultations, advanced imaging, specialized surgery, and digital imaging. However, the authors make an important comment relevant to licensing bodies in some states (and clearly in some provinces) that “restrict the role of veterinary technicians and nursing staff while the human profession embraces the physician extender.” Although it is impossible to predict the future accurately, in my view, the authors propose both inevitable and likely visions of the future of practice 25 years from now, including the type of practices that are likely to survive as we look critically at the economics of veterinary business: The authors also describe a number of areas that show a growing need for veterinarians in nonveterinary disciplines, including technology, food safety, animal welfare, biomedical science, animal drug regulations, and clinical research. Another area discussed in the first appendix on Healthy People 2000/2010 is the “growing need for veterinarians to demonstrate their importance to human well-being.” Although there is some repetition of concepts with other books, there is less repetition of concepts within this book and it is relatively easy to read. There is also a good deal of useful financial planning information and good advice on how to plan for the future. This book is a must-read for deans, faculty, veterinary associations, licensing bodies, practice owners and managers, associates, consultants, students, and industry. Did I leave anybody out?