National Service Dog Eye Exam Day

FAQs FOR PARTICIPATING OPHTHALMOLOGISTS

What groups of animals are invited?

Certified dogs from the following Service Dog groups are being invited to participate: guide dogs, handicapped assistance dogs, detection dogs (drugs, etc), and search and rescue dogs. Some doctors may choose to limit free exams to those dogs currently in active service with someone; not dogs in training, or having retired and now serving as pets. At the local event, Dr. Miller only received one request from a retired Service Dog which he chose to include in the program. This is up to you.

We have attempted to clarify via this web site that to qualify these Service Dogs must have been formally trained and/or have certification or paperwork attesting to their training through a national, regional or local organization. We understand that there are many trainer-owned animals who have self-trained but not gone through a formal program. The intent of the event is to care for working Service Dogs. While we recognize that many assistance dogs are privately trained, we have had to draw the line at certification to ensure the event isn't abused. Perhaps after the first event is a success, any subsequent events in future years could be expanded to include other assistance groups. If your clinic wishes to treat these dogs and has the time to do so, please do.

Locating an ophthalmologist's office for an appointment & Pet Wellness Reports...

Here is what you need to know regarding the Pet Wellness Reports, how they will be conducted and how clients will locate your clinic information.

1) The client must register through www.ACVOeyeexam.org web site. They will not receive a PIN number and do not need a PIN number in order to participate, but they MUST register. Once registered the web site will push them through to a searchable database where they can search for clinics by state. Once located, the client will call the clinic and make an appointment directly with staff.

2) The client will see you for the eye exam. A simple exam form will be printed off the web site, available 1-2 weeks prior to the event. Your clinic will keep one copy, and the client will take one back to primary care veterinarian.

3) The client will bring this information to their next appointment with their primary care veterinarian, sometime between June 1 - 30th. Their veterinarian will execute the blood draw and send in labs. The event sponsor, Merial makers of HEARTGARD® Plus (ivermectin/pyrantel) and FRONTLINE®, will have already disseminated lab needs to each and every doc and explained the program (1,400 estimated to participate). Pet Health Systems will supply all the lab materials and pay for the lab fees. That is why they must pre-register...otherwise they cannot receive the Pet Wellness Report.

4) After the event has concluded, if at all possible please mail a copy of the exam forms to us for data collection. Data will eventually be compiled in an anonymous format.

How will the ophthalmologist's office be contacted for an appointment?

ACVO will post one listing for your clinic, not a separate listing for each doctor at the clinic. Clients will then contact the clinic to schedule an appointment but not with a specific doctor. The specifics of scheduling will be handled within the clinic office. Registration will take place from April 1st to May 1st.

What cost is involved?

Clinics are not asked to contribute funding toward this program, nor is the client. ACVO is securing laboratory sponsorship for blood panels so the client may receive the Pet Wellness Report™ through their primary care veterinarian, for no charge. The blood draws/panels are not to be done in your office but at the client's next appointment with their primary care veterinarian. Pet Health Systems will be contacting all primary care veterinarians named in the information gathering form so they are aware of the arrangements.

Is there a scheduling policy?

You may schedule these exams for any day/time that you wish. The event is being promoted for the week of May 12th to correspond with AVMA’s Pet Health Month, but you could offer services at any time. Your clinic’s general contact information will be provided to the customer via this web site, they will call your office to schedule the appointment and should identify themselves as participating in this program. Registration will take place from April 1st to May 1st.

Can we perform billable services beyond eye screening exams?

Clients have been told that the complimentary exam is of a screening nature only. Should other medical concerns need addressing, tests run, blood draws needed, follow-up exams, etc. these would all be at your normal billable rates and/or you may refer them back to their primary care physician. Of course the client would need to be clearly notified if billable services are offered at the time of the exam.

Client information is being collected, are there HIPPA concerns?

No. Data will be collected nationwide, both on dogs examined and the value of services generated. ACVO hopes to establish a database through the Foundation to do some epidemiological work in the future. Information will not be used for other purposes or given to vendors.

Where do I get the exam forms?

Your clinic will be provided a web link to a downloadable Adobe PDF prior to the event. Before exams are scheduled to begin at your clinic, these forms will be available to be printed for use in the clinic. We ask that one form be provided to the client and a duplicate form be saved and ultimately sent to the ACVO office at the conclusion of the event. These forms are the vehicle with which we will collect data for future epidemiological purposes. There is of course no charge for the forms.

Are residents and/or board-eligible veterinarians invited to participate?

This event is intended to promote the importance of referring to boarded veterinary specialists for care. While supervised residents and board-eligible doctors are qualified to conduct screening exams in the veterinary world, ACVO is hoping not to play up this aspect of the event for PR purposes. Should press contact your clinic for an interview, please make certain that it is a Diplomate of the College that conducts the interview. As long as press contact is with a Diplomate, the ACVO sees no problem with veterinary ophthalmology residents or those board-eligible DVMs conducting the screening exams as long as they are under the supervision of a boarded Diplomate of the ACVO.

What about press coverage?

Links to a standard press release, a suggested release that a clinic may edit and use, and link to video will be provided to all participating veterinary ophthalmologists. Locate press release here. You are then encouraged to forward this information to your local press to gain coverage of the overall event and for your local clinic. National and veterinary contacts are being handled by the ACVO office.

If your clinic receives press coverage, please forward a copy of the article or a link to the article/video to the ACVO if at all possible for archival purposes. We would like to be able to quantify the reach of this program to the public and to referring veterinarians if possible. While we realize this is an additional step in the process, it would go a long way to develop future promotion for PR events for your clinic and the College.

Your clinic information...

In order for people to attend this event and receive the complimentary screening they MUST HAVE REGISTERED ON THE SERVICE DOG WEBSITE prior to calling your clinic. This is just about guaranteed because we're only offering the clinic information via the registration form. Potential participants will be able to view the participating clinics (docs are not listed by name per the overwhelming request of all of you) after they register...they are then pushed to a page to search for your clinic by state. The reason this is required is that we have to collect data on their primary care veterinarian in order to contact them regarding the Pet Wellness Report. After the event has concluded, we will make the list of clinics available for everyone to view.

Who/what will benefit from any possible sponsorship proceeds?

Any excess proceeds raised from the sponsorship of this event will be donated to the ACVO Vision for Animals Foundation (VAF). Detailed information on the contribution will be available for review at the conclusion of the event. More information on the VAF.