AniCura first to publish quality report within veterinary care
AniCura, one of Europe’s leading providers of high-quality veterinary care for companion animals, is pleased to publish the first comprehensive quality report within the veterinary care industry. The inspiration for the report comes from human healthcare, with the objective to encourage further knowledge sharing and quality improvements. The report describes AniCura's new systematic quality initiative QualiCura, whose aim is to increase patient safety and improve the medical outcomes for AniCura's patients. QualiCura covers several areas including infection control, antibiotic use, diagnostic quality and educational training.
AniCura's 2015 quality report is the result of constant efforts to develop and provide veterinary care of the highest possible quality. This type of report is commonplace in human health care but has not been published within veterinary care before.
– AniCura strives to provide Europe's best veterinary care, and this demands constant development. Pet owners come to us with high expectations and often realise that we have shorter waiting times, greater accessibility and a higher level of service than human healthcare in general. This report also sheds light on AniCura’s systematic quality efforts and renders them transparent, something we believe will benefit the entire veterinary industry. We hope the initiative serves as a best-practice example worth following, says Peter Feledy, COO of AniCura.
The report summarises many of the quality initiatives launched by AniCura as well as opportunities for development. These are now brought together and accelerated considerably within the framework for systematic quality work under the QualiCura program. Thanks to QualiCura, patient safety enjoys much greater attention, as is the case within human health care.
– As the quality of veterinary care increases, more advanced treatments are introduced for both cats and dogs such as chemotherapy and herniated disc surgery. This is an important development as it means more healthy animals, improved quality of life as well as longer lives, but it also means we must regularly and systematically document and exchange experiences in order to maintain our high quality, continues Peter Feledy.
Antibiotics – important for all
One of QualiCura's priority areas focuses on the use of antibiotics. Today, antibiotic resistant bacteria are spreading rapidly around the world in both people and animals. Antibiotics are a finite resource that must be used intelligently. During the last quarter of 2015, AniCura carried out a major study within the QualiCura programme regarding the use of antibiotics for dogs. The findings from the study are used as a basis for establishing wiser ways of prescribing antibiotics and thus reducing the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
– Antibiotics must never be prescribed to err on the side of caution. The nightmare scenario is a world in which antibiotics no longer work neither for people nor animals; it's essential that we establish wiser ways of prescribing antibiotics to combat this. We were pleased to see that the survey showed that antibiotics designated by WHO as Critically Important Antibiotics (CIA) were only used a few times, but we also identified a number of areas for improvement that require more effort, says Ulrika Grönlund, Group Medical Quality Manager, AniCura.
Reliable diagnostic medicine
Another of QualiCura's focus areas is around diagnostic quality as reliable diagnostics in veterinary medicine are crucial for high quality veterinary care regardless of whether it concerns small clinics or major animal hospitals. In order to safeguard the quality of more advanced diagnoses, we not only need skilled and experienced veterinarians and other personnel, but also satisfactory medical imaging and technical laboratory equipment such as x-rays, ultrasound, CT scanners and various advanced instruments for laboratory analysis. Moreover, AniCura often analyses laboratory samples as part of a medical examination. According to research, laboratory tests constitute 94 per cent of all objective data in patient records, and no less than 60-70 per cent of all critical decisions are taken on the basis of laboratory tests. AniCura has set up an international quality program – The AniCura Laboratory Quality Assurance Program – to form part of QualiCura and to maximize the reliability and accessibility of test results.
For further information, please contact
Peter Feledy, Chief Operating Officer, COO of AniCura, +46 702 565 431
Ulrika Grönlund, Group Medical Quality Manager of AniCura, +46 706 387 562
About AniCura
AniCura is a family of well-known animal hospitals and clinics specialised in veterinary care for companion animals. Born out of the idea that sharing resources creates opportunities for better veterinary care, the company was established in 2011 as the first merger of companion animal hospitals in the Nordic region. Today, AniCura is a role model within specialised veterinary care and a valued partner for pet owners and referring veterinarians across Europe.
The company offers a wide range of high quality medical services covering preventive and basic health care as well as advanced diagnostics, internal medicine, intensive care, surgery and orthopaedics. AniCura also provides rehabilitation, physiotherapy and dietary advice and offers selected pet food and care products.
AniCura provides modern, high-quality veterinary care for pets at 130 European locations and creates peace of mind for pet owners through excellent access and patient safety. Every year, AniCura’s 2 500 passionate veterinary professionals attend to more than one million companion animal patients. AniCura is a trusted training and referral body.
For information on how AniCura is working to shape the future of veterinary care, please visit our website www.anicuragroup.com
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