Question

You have a scenario where your client Jane has taken ownership of her neighbor Margaret's dog Fluffy because Margaret is elderly and can't care for Fluffy anymore. Jane has been a good long-term client and already brings her other dog and cat to your hospital. She asks for a copy of Fluffy's medical records and for the records to be transferred into her file. What is the best thing to do?

a) Provide Jane with a copy of Fluffy's medical records and transfer them to her file.
b) Refuse to provide medical records as Margaret is the original owner.
c) Inform Jane that medical records cannot be transferred between owners.
d) Suggest a joint ownership arrangement between Jane and Margaret.

Answer 1

To transfer Fluffy's medical records to Jane, written consent from the original owner, Margaret, is required. Once obtained, the records can be transferred to Jane's file legally and ethically.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best course of action when a client, like Jane, takes ownership of a dog from her neighbor Margaret and requests the medical records to be transferred is to ensure that proper legal procedures are followed. In most cases, medical records are considered confidential between the veterinarian and the original owner of the pet. Therefore, Jane would need Margaret's written consent to have the records released to her. Once consent is obtained, option a) Provide Jane with a copy of Fluffy's medical records and transfer them to her file, becomes appropriate.

It is recommended to document the transfer of ownership and the consent from Margaret appropriately. If Margaret is not capable of providing consent due to mental incapacity or other legal constraints, further steps may need to be taken to ensure that the transfer is lawful and ethical. This could involve a legal document or contract describing the change in ownership signed by both parties or by Margaret's legal representative if necessary.