College Connection | Winter 2023
Veterinary facilities should be proactive when managing animal bites , aggressive animals , client confidentiality
College Connection | Winter 2023
Veterinary facilities should be proactive when managing animal bites , aggressive animals , client confidentiality
The College ’ s Practice Advisory Service receives questions about incidents where a client ’ s animal bites a veterinary team member . It is important to address promptly animal bites to humans . In addition to public health risks , employers must consider their legal duties related to workplace safety , and the potential emotional impact on the injured team member .
Being proactive
It can be emotional and challenging when a veterinary team member is bitten at work . Practices benefit from having clear procedures that ensure the safety of their veterinary team and outline the steps for managing the situation . A policy on managing animal bites may include reporting requirements and guidance on maintaining confidentiality of client and patient information .
In addition , a policy may be adopted outlining the circumstances when a veterinarian-client-patient relationship ( VCPR ) might be discontinued . It is helpful to provide such a document to clients when the VCPR is established . The policy may include potential reasons for discontinuing services , including a risk or threat to the health and safety of the veterinary team .
Clear written policies can assist practice owners and facility directors with mitigating potential risks .
Report to Public Health
When a veterinary team member is bitten , the incident is reported to the local Public Health Unit . Under Regulation 557 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act ( HPPA ) animal bites must be reported by veterinarians to their local Public Health Unit ( regardless of whether the veterinarian believes the animal is likely to have rabies ). Providing animal bite information to a Public Health Unit would not be a breach of client confidentiality ( or an act of professional misconduct ). Client consent is not required for such report . The report should identify the animal , the owner and the name and contact information of the person who was bitten .
A veterinarian is not required to provide medical records ( or parts of them ) when making a report about an animal bite under the HPPA . However , since the obligation to report an animal bite is mandatory , if the Public Health Unit asks for a copy of the record or portion of it , then the veterinarian should provide it . If no request is made by a Public Health Unit for the medical record , it is sufficient for the veterinarian to provide the mandatory information by email or a phone call . All of this should be documented .
If an associate or locum veterinarian witnesses the animal bite , or are bitten themselves , they have a statutory obligation to report to Public Health and do not require permission from the practice owner / facility director . However , it is good practice from an employment relations perspective for an associate or locum to inform the practice owner / facility director about the report . With this knowledge , the practice owner / facility director are better equipped to talk to the client , who might be concerned by the report .
Sharing information to prevent further injury or disease to a person
Veterinarians may wonder what information can be shared , and with whom , when a client ’ s animal is aggressive . While the general rule is that veterinarians must maintain confidentiality , there are some exceptions . Pursuant to Regulation 1093 under the Veterinarians Act , a veterinarian is expected to maintain confidentiality except if required or authorized to do so by law , or to prevent or contribute information for the treatment of , a disease or physical injury of a person .
While a veterinarian must report to the Public Health Unit when an animal has bitten someone , there is no requirement to report to an animal control officer or a police officer . However , in the case of an aggressive animal , whether or not they have bitten
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