Dear Second Opinion,

My colleague and I split our weekday clinic shifts; I cover the first half of the week, and she covers the second half. We try to ensure patients are scheduled with their regular clinician, but we inevitably end up seeing each other’s patients on occasion. Sharing cases can create confusion for clients because of slight variations in the way we practice. For example, we have different approaches when it comes to the duration of antibiotic therapy for canine UTIs.

I respect my colleague’s medical decisions and trust their judgement, but it can be confusing for clients to be offered multiple treatment options. How can I clearly explain these treatment differences and maintain a gold standard of patient care?

Sincerely,

Catching Clients in the Crossfire