Integrated Software Solutions that Can Help Vets with Better Practice Management

We live in an age of constantly shifting consumer patterns with accelerating innovation happening on the technology side, including computers, software and medical equipment that never stay the same for long.

As veterinary care providers, while our primary focus is providing top notch healthcare services, we should be assigning some attention and time to staying current with all our technology, too. After all, we’re more dependent upon veterinary software these days than ever before.

It’s hard to believe that there are veterinary care practices still trying to get through the day by using a paper-based system, especially when computer systems, data storage, and networking are so inexpensive these days. The advantages of veterinary software should be obvious, yet some continue to resist its adoption.

A practice that eschews technology runs the risk of alienating pet parents. Good veterinary apps attract new clients and ensure existing patients stay healthy and happy. Why not invest in what works?

In this piece, we will be exploring two software solutions that veterinary care providers can leverage to increase the bottom line of their practice and streamline workflows.

Telemedicine is one veterinary management software that is not only making strides on the veterinary care front, but transforming the healthcare industry as a whole at present.

According to the findings of a recent study, the worldwide veterinary telehealth market is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.5% in a span of the next 7 years and reach USD 417.1 million by 2028. We can expect the adoption of vet telemedicine software to fuel some of this growth. 

Telemedicine software, when integrated with your practice effectively, can augment animal care through early diagnostics, swift treatment, effective client education, improved communication, convenient appointment scheduling and an accelerated completion speed of operational tasks within the practice.

In order for providers to be able to furnish optimal care experiences and attract more pet parents, they first need to think about making the client’s journey as seamless as possible. Only when pet parents find your platform to be convenient and easy to use, will they get converted to loyal customers and spread the word about your offering. Without the right vet software, you’ll never achieve those results. 

Dr Vinati Kamani, in one of her recent articles, talks about a few crucial client-side attributes every telemedicine platform should have when trying to target practice growth. 

These include: precise and short forms to collect patient information, an embedded ‘Search’ feature for increased convenience, push notification reminders, two-factor authentication for greater cyber-protection to patient data, an automated appointment scheduling feature, and a variety of online payment options embedded within the platform itself.

There’s an entire array of options you can think of integrating with your telemedicine software to enhance treatment outcomes and boost client experience on a macro scale. 

You only need to find a solution that compliments your existing tech stack (if any), keep yourself updated on the latest market trends, and look at what strategies your competitors are implementing to streamline their practice. 

Once the must-have features have been integrated, you can think of adding more advanced features. For instance, the client-side of the telemedicine app can include extra features like: personalized dashboards, medication tracking, in-app calls, navigation, cloud data storage, patient’s insurance plan integration, etc

Dr Vinati Kamani

There’s an entire array of options you can think of integrating with your telemedicine software to enhance treatment outcomes and boost client experience on a macro scale. 

You only need to find a solution that compliments your existing tech stack (if any), keep yourself updated on the latest market trends, and look at what strategies your competitors are implementing to streamline their practice. 

A practice information management system (PIMS), also commonly referred to as a practice management software, can offer veterinary care providers assistance in augmenting the functionality of almost every component of their business, right from tracking patient flow, to streamlining client communications, billing, to speedy collection of patient history, and more.

But not every practice management software solution is created equal. Some veterinary software is best avoided, while other services are essential to long-term success. 

As a matter of fact, these solutions come in various formats, offering a variety of integrations, tools, and compatibility modalities. However, when looking at streamlining the operations of your clinic, it isn’t enough to have just any other PIMS. It is equally important to learn about each function of the system and make sure it suits your preferences and requirements.

So then, how do you find out which features are the right fit for your practice? Consider these factors when researching which practice management software will create a more efficient day-to-day workflow for your veterinary care practice:

• Tech Specs. The ideal veterinary PIMS should necessarily cover all aspects of patient care, such as charting. Remember, the software solution you choose will be the foundation of your practice. It is also vital to consider that it’s capable of syncing with other services and tools in your practice, such as in-house diagnostics, prescriptions, and your lab partners’ systems.

• Business Management Tools. Next up, a veterinary PIMS should incorporate important business-side functions, such as scheduling, billing, wellness plans, reminders, financial reporting, and inventory management. It is also important that the software you choose embeds a few options that can streamline client communications such as chatbot features or automated text generation.

• Training and Tech Support. You or your staff shouldn’t be required to have an extensive understanding of how a PIMS works in order for it to be effective. The ideal provider should furnish ongoing education when updates are made, necessary initial training, and responsive IT support.

• Data Privacy. The PIMS is your ultimate client information repository and every single patient’s medical history is stored on it. Robust security is an absolute necessity to keeping sensitive information and your practice details safe, and protecting the contact and payment information of pet owners.

• Ready for the Future. Ask the practice management software provider about update capabilities. The platform should ideally be flexible and able to expand to accommodate the continually-changing services and needs of both your practice and your clients.

Lastly, you need to assess the requirements of your veterinary practice carefully and choose a system that meets those effectively as well as in a cost-efficient manner. Only then can you benefit from the key advantages of veterinary software. 

Veterinary care providers need to realize that the only way to move forward is embracing state-of-the-art technological innovations, and balancing those with a human touch in such a way that you can furnish value-based, patient-centric care and increase the bottom line of your practice in the long run.

About the author:

Samantha Vitale, DVM, MS, DACVIM is a board certified veterinary neurologist and co-founder of Stratocyte by Cloud Animal Health, an online marketplace where primary care veterinarians can connect with specialists that offer virtual consults and other custom services