CMA results are here. Should we ask AI to let us know what everything means?

RE: CMA results are here. Should we ask AI to let us know what everything means?

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 23:54:03 GMT

[quote userid="12930" url="~/f/non-clinical-questions/31129/cma-results-are-here-should-we-ask-ai-to-let-us-know-what-everything-means/246508#246508"] whether Michael would have fixed it for half the price I did and offered a tour of the dales thrown in too[/quote]

Quite busy for tours at the moment but that's change from a thousand pounds, all day long.

RE: CMA results are here. Should we ask AI to let us know what everything means?

Beats — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 23:09:11 GMT

There has always been a trend to offer higher cost services but not lower cost alternatives. I had a y fracture last week that was now 8 days old because vet X who wouldn't operate sent to vet y who offered an excellent option with high chance of success fora large sum of money, then went to vet z who offered a similar service for a similar cost. I offered to lag screw and pin it for an affordable fee, which would offer a higher chance of success than vet X but lower than vets y and z. Vets x y and z were not under any obligation to make owner aware of this option and indeed are quite entitled to hold their opinions on whether it is an option or not. Vet x did however feel obliged to recommend attending with vet y, the ultimate effect of this well intentioned or not was an 8day old fracture that would have been easier and therefore higher ultimate chance of success, had I attempted it a week earlier.

No one ever offers a client all the options. It is a fallacy. We often don't know what options there are or whether Michael would have fixed it for half the price I did and offered a tour of the dales thrown in too

RE: CMA results are here. Should we ask AI to let us know what everything means?

Arlo Guthrie — Sat, 08 Feb 2025 14:01:00 GMT

[quote userid="13891" url="~/f/non-clinical-questions/31129/cma-results-are-here-should-we-ask-ai-to-let-us-know-what-everything-means/246494#246494"]I think Arlo's summary is a lot more useful. Thanks for that Arlo. Having said that, chatGPT did give me a link to a FT article from 25th January "Is private equity behind the surging cost of veterinary care?' [/quote]

My pleasure, and thank you ... that's a very interesting article.

[quote userid="11493" url="~/f/non-clinical-questions/31129/cma-results-are-here-should-we-ask-ai-to-let-us-know-what-everything-means/246497#246497"]

Although I would say you probably identify more with

Consumers may be being offered more complex higher cost services (treatment) without being given the option of cheaper, lower cost alternatives which may even be better for animal welfare.

[/quote]

I'm so boringly transparent - but yes Francisco Gomez, you're right.

[quote userid="11493" url="~/f/non-clinical-questions/31129/cma-results-are-here-should-we-ask-ai-to-let-us-know-what-everything-means/246497#246497"]

Veterinary regulation does not give sufficient consideration to consumer issues: vet business owners and managers have considerable influence on pricing, but are not regulated.

Is much more interesting...

[/quote]

But I think that is interesting too.

But even MORE interesting would be to have some proper data for the impact of the various inflationary factors: Changing work patterns, corporatisation, march of science, risk, etc etc.

From my perspective, my impression (I stress impression is that it is no more than that) was that the biggest factor in the size of my bill was not whether the practice was owned by a corporate or not, but the advice I was given by the individual vet - which I think is primarily influenced by the march of science and societal attitudes.

RE: CMA results are here. Should we ask AI to let us know what everything means?

Francisco Gomez — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 19:36:39 GMT

Thank you!

Although I would say you probably identify more with

Consumers may be being offered more complex higher cost services (treatment) without being given the option of cheaper, lower cost alternatives which may even be better for animal welfare.

I think this:

Veterinary regulation does not give sufficient consideration to consumer issues: vet business owners and managers have considerable influence on pricing, but are not regulated.

Is much more interesting...

RE: CMA results are here. Should we ask AI to let us know what everything means?

Judith Joyce — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 10:41:31 GMT

whilst chatGpt might give some entertaining results, I think Arlo's summary is a lot more useful. Thanks for that Arlo. Having said that, chatGPT did give me a link to a FT article from 25th January "Is private equity behind the surging cost of veterinary care?' when I asked it about the CMA investigation

RE: CMA results are here. Should we ask AI to let us know what everything means?

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 23:56:37 GMT

Francisco Gomez …. I have summarised here: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/cma-hugely-impressed-by-vets-dedication-and-commitment-to-pet-owners