Technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are changing the practice of veterinary medicine. From scheduling to histopathology1, AI tools can improve efficiency and patient care in veterinary practice. During a soft economic phase like the one we’re in now, getting the most from your practice’s resources is even more important than usual. While 80% of companion animal practices already use practice management software and 65% use electronic medical records, many fewer have taken advantage of the other opportunities technology offers to improve practice efficiency.2 Here are four areas where AI systems take some of the pressure off staff and provide welcome service to clients and pets.[1]
Appointment scheduling
Scheduling appointments is vital to keeping a busy veterinary practice running smoothly. Yet too often, busy receptionists or customer care associates must put calls on hold and make clients wait to secure a time slot for their pet. Artificial intelligence can speed up scheduling by providing appointment options online, via chat, or over the phone.
More than one-third of companion animal veterinary practices already use online scheduling tools.2 VMG partners Rapport and PetDesk can integrate into many PIMS (practice information management systems) for seamless support with scheduling and reminders. Clients can book their appointments at any time, and reminders go out automatically, reducing the chance of no-shows or forgotten appointments.
Phone-linked systems allow clients to choose between speaking with an automated system or a live receptionist. If selected, a realistic-sounding automatic scheduler asks the reason for the visit, offers clients available times and dates, and prompts them about refills or upcoming services their pet needs, just like your receptionist would. The system can connect them to a staff member if needed.
If you want to optimize your front office without an AI-driven phone system, DVMReach offers a hybrid approach. This AI-powered system identifies overdue appointments and refills through PIMS data, then engages trained veterinary professionals to call clients directly. In one recent report on eight VMG member clinics, DVMReach produced an average of $26,600 in revenues over a 3-month period; in month 3, the additional revenues increased almost 60% from month 2.3
If your practice phone is too busy for your staff to keep up, the right AI tool can free them from scheduling routine appointments, letting them focus on urgencies and emergencies.
Voice-to-Text transcriptions
After the appointment is finished, timely and accurate record-keeping is essential for maintaining continuity in patient care, yet many veterinarians struggle to keep up. AI tools that transcribe medical records are gaining increased traction in veterinary practices, easing pressure on busy veterinarians struggling to find the time to manually document patient visits. These systems capture your conversation with clients in the exam room in real time and draft an entry into the patient’s medical record.
VMG practice Metro Paws Animal Hospital’s Dr. Rebecca Donaldson says that using VMG partner Scribblevet has saved her 30-45 minutes per day, while making her records more complete, because it captures topics she might forget to write down.4 Another VMG partner. CoVet, that transcribes live conversations and converts them into medical records claims to save veterinarians more than 2 hours each day.5
That extra time in the day means veterinarians can see more patients and have a better work-life balance. What would you do with that extra time in your life?
Online pharmacy fulfillment
Many pet owners want to order their pet’s medications online.6 Two-thirds (67%) of companion animal veterinary practices have their own online pharmacies, but many clients aren’t aware of them.2,6 Instead, they buy their pet’s medications at Amazon, Chewy, PetSmart, Walmart, or other companies selling billions of dollars of pet products to owners each year.6 The right AI tools can keep those prescription sales in-house.
Online pharmacy platforms linked to your PIMS and practice website make it easy and efficient for clients to order their pet’s medications. AI-managed automatic refills improve medication compliance, which is critical for your patients with chronic conditions and for everyday challenges like parasite prevention. By making refills easy for clients, these platforms keep more of the revenue from medication sales within your practice. That’s good business and good medicine.
Automatic refills are not always appropriate; many prescriptions need a veterinarian’s review first. DVMRx makes managing these requests easier by streamlining the approval of online prescription requests. Using patient information in your PIMS, DVMRx categorizes refill requests based on whether they are likely to be approved, likely to be rejected, or need more detailed review. Veterinarians reviewing these grouped requests need just a few seconds for many of them, saving on average 8 hours each month.7 Control over the parameters for each category remains in your hands, ensuring that your patients continue to receive the best care.
Preparing marketing materials
Your most effective marketing activities show your clients how your practice directly meets their pet’s needs. Once you understand who your best clients are, everything from your practice website to your vaccination reminders should appeal to their interests and speak directly to how you can help their pet live a happier, healthier life.
When it comes time to write your marketing materials, Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Gemini can generate basic text tailored to each client group. No more staring at a blank screen, wondering how to start writing about parasite control!
Appropriate prompts are essential for getting the most out of any LLM. Rather than asking, “Write a client reminder about heartworm disease,” use a prompt that specifically addresses a particular client segment’s concern. An example might be, “Write a one-paragraph explanation of how parasites affect outdoor dogs in this area, and why owners of working dogs need to call us this month to get their dogs tested and put on a parasite prevention program.” In seconds, you will have basic content that you can easily modify for your practice.
Prompting generative AI tools is a skill that improves with time and training. Free and paid training courses are available online. Consider offering training to an interested staff member who can then become adept at working with the AI tool, and more efficient at creating effective marketing materials. That’s employee development, practice efficiency, and improved staff utilization all at once!
Start taking better advantage of technology in your practice today
Whether scheduling appointments, managing records, refilling prescriptions or marketing your practice, appropriate use of AI tools in a busy veterinary practice can save time for staff members, improve practice efficiency and decrease stress. Give your team more time to care for pets and provide the personal attention that is one of the hallmarks of independent veterinary practice. New tools have been specifically designed for the veterinary market and can fit smoothly into your practice. Which will you try next?
References
- Zuraw, A., Aeffner, F. Whole-slide imaging, tissue image analysis, and artificial intelligence in veterinary pathology: An updated introduction and review. Veterinary Pathology, 2022;59(1), 6-25.
- Doherty C, McKay C, Ouedraogo FB. American Veterinary Medical Association, 2024 AVMA Report on the Economic State of the Veterinary Profession, 2024.
- VMG member data, July 2024. Data on file.
- ‘Metro Paws Animal Hospital reduces liability with ScribbleVet.’ Scribblevet website. Accessed 1 October 2024. https://www.scribblevet.com/blog/reduced-liability-scribblevet
- COVET website homepage Accessed 3 December 2024. https://www.co.vet/.
- Brakke Consulting 2024 Animal Health Industry Overview. Presented 18 February 2024 at VMX, Las Vegas, NV.
- DVMRx website. https://dvmrx.com/. Accessed 3 December 2024.
[1] AI services mentioned in this blog have partnered with VMG to support our members.