Vital-Med Overview

What is Vital Med?

• VITAL Med is a web application used by ULAR staff to communicate sick and deceased research animals to investigators.
• To access reports, click the email link or go to go.osu.edu/vital-med. Sign in using your Ohio State credentials. 

Notifications

• ULAR staff will send notifications to the lab contact(s) listed on the cage card and the Principal Investigator. 
• If a lab contact changes, the best way to ensure the correct person is notified is to update the cage card. 
• ALL study team members on the IACUC protocol can sign in to see and respond to open medical cases. 

 Notification Frequency

• At 8:00 am each morning an automated email notification goes out for all cases pending approval.
  • NOTE: If you accept the treatment plan Euthanize, the study team is expected to complete this. Select ULAR Remove if you need assistance with euthanasia. 
• Check the Approval tab for cases needing a response. Make sure the Treatment Plan Decision for Animal is filled out and submitted.
• The veterinary team may send a case back to you if the treatment recommendation changes or if there is new information to share.

How to Submit an Animal Concern to the Veterinary Team

1. Log into VITAL Med using Ohio State credentials
2. Click Create Animal Observation Report
3. Fill out the Overview tab
   1. Search the PI's name and select protocol from the list
   2. Leave Create tags that will appear on Workspace blank
4. Click Save & Continue and fill out the Locations tab
   1. Search Room Number (may start with 0) and select from the list
5. Click Save & Continue and fill out the Lab Contacts tab
   1. Click Show Multiple Contacts and select the contacts
6. Click Continue and fill out the Animals tab
   1. Enter ear tag, ear notch, or other ID. If none, use the descriptor or default letter ("A").
   2. Click Does Animal require immediate attention if the animal requires immediate attention. You must also call/visit the health tech office or a ULAR vet at BRT 0010 or 614-688-4375.
7. Click Save & Continue and click Submit AOR
8. the medicine team will assess the animal within 24 hours

Alternative Treatment Options

• Options for responding to the recommended treatment plan are:
  • Accept Suggested Treatment
  • Consult Veterinarian
  • Study Team will Remove Animal
  • ULAR Staff will Remove Animal
• Choosing Consult Veterinarian allows for discussion of an alternative treatment plan.
• Note: the Comments section is a tool to provide dialogue back and forth but does not trigger notification to either ULAR or the study team.

Troubleshooting

Web Application Error

• If you see Application Error, refresh the webpage and log in again
• If the problem persists, try:
  • using a different web browser (Chrome is recommended)
  • clearing cookies within the browser
  • going directly to the website rather than the email link
• If these do not fix the problem, contact the Office of Research Help Desk: orhelpdesk@osu.edu. 

Notifications Going to Incorrect Place

• Verify the lab contact on the cage card is correct
• If you prefer a different university email address receive notifications (e.g., OSUMC), this can be updated in the Office of Research user database.
  • Click Edit Profile at the top for instructions on how to update preferred contact information in Workday.
  • Verify what emergency phone number is listed so ULAR can contact you quickly in the case of an animal emergency!

No Report to Approve on Website

• Reports requiring a study team response are located under the Approval tab. If not there, check the Open tab in case someone else responded.
• If nothing is there either, the case has been addressed and closed. Contact your health tech if you have questions.
• Once a medical case is closed, this information is no longer accessible so please plan accordingly and record any information you need.