VCA Animal Hospitals identifies technology trends driving innovation in veterinary medicine

The future of veterinary medicine will be characterized by deeper integration of digital and in-person care, improving experiences for professionals, pets and their owners

THE ANGEL, January 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Tablets used in hospital rooms to write prescriptions and pay customers. Chatbots to find available appointments. Authorized virtual assistants that reduce note taking during exams and improve the quality of recordings. Continuity begins at home or on the go, online and on our phones, and is sustained by a face-to-face hospital visit. Our pets are beginning to learn how technology-enhanced grooming can improve their health and well-being. Today, VCA Animal Hospitals unveiled key trends that will transform care, expand access to care for pets and their owners, and enhance the experience of professionals in the field.

Logo of the VCA Animal Hospitals (PRNewsfoto/VCA Animal Hospitals)

“We’re very close to unlocking an experience that allows care teams to see pets that they need while reducing the work that distracts from the joy of caring for those pets,” he said Garret Lewis, Chief Operating Officer of VCA Veterinary Clinics. “We strive for a focus on operational excellence, supported by deeper integration between our face-to-face care teams and digital tools. Pilot projects get us started, but it’s the targeted, consistent applications of technology that will improve pet care and the lives of our people.”

The future of veterinary medicine will see a seamless connection between digital, virtual and in-person care. Innovation trends driving this future include:

• Access triage support anywhere, anytime. We live in an always-on world where most things are available on demand. Veterinary medicine is embracing this trend, spurred by the COVID pandemic as hospital teams quickly switched — some for the first time — to offering care via video calls and text messaging. Expect more triage services to be offered virtually, complementing in-person care. For example, VCA offers its customers access to free live chat with a certified veterinary technician – day and night via the myVCA app. Pet owners can quickly get expert advice if, for example, their dog has eaten something they shouldn’t have and if this requires a personal visit.

• The doctor will now see you on video. Unlike the video calls some owners may have experienced, telemedicine involves a doctor who you may not see at your home hospital. Technological improvements and growing interest from physicians and consumers will drive an expansion of telemedicine options. For example, VCA plans to roll out a telemedicine option in several states later this year.

• Book appointments according to your schedule. Traditionally, booking an appointment with your vet meant a phone call. Today, veterinary clinics are quickly adopting digital options that allow customers to book online. VCA was one of the first in the industry to offer digital appointment booking in 2016, and digital booking has helped its teams spend less time on the phone and more time with pets and clients in the hospital.

• Physicians receive virtual, recognized scribes. Vets typically spend at least two hours a day typing medical notes from patient visits—so much time that doctors often take work home to complete notes after hours. Soon, this burden on physicians could be removed as certified technicians virtually assist and transcribe recorded dictations from physicians. In return, physicians have more time for patients and clients in the hospital, ultimately expanding access. In 2022, VCA launched an internal Scribe program that currently supports over 200 physicians and plans to support over 1,000 physicians by the end of the year.

• Technology-based hospitals. The hospital experience will soon look different too. More and more hospitals will implement virtual waiting rooms, similar to waiting for a table at the popular restaurant from your home. Virtual care options like remote customer service representatives will allow some hospitals to rethink front desk operations, eliminate ringing phones from the lobby, and allow teams to focus on the pets and customers in front of them. VCA has brought these trends together in the new VCA Animal Hospitals Urgent Care facilities, with 17 opening this year alone.

The story goes on

“The push to integrate digital technologies has been in the works for years, but the COVID pandemic accelerated all plans — a rollout that might have taken years happened in months because we all had to act quickly,” he said Abe Al-Murjan, Vice President, Digital Products at VCA. “Successful technology integration requires a relentless focus on our purpose and the people and pets we serve. Whenever a new platform or app comes out, we always start with the question: How does this help improve the lives of our teams and pets? and clients they serve?”

Visit www.vcahospitals.com to learn more about these trends and how they contribute to the world-class medicine provided by VCA’s network of home hospitals.

About VCA Veterinary Clinics

As a leader in veterinary medicine, VCA Animal Hospitals is committed to the future of veterinary medicine. We are a hometown vet clinic family determined to make a positive impact on pets, people and our communities. From general practice to emergency and specialty care, VCA provides world-class hometown medicine and care to more than four million pets each year. We invest in cutting-edge tools, training and technology that enable employees across our national network of hospitals to lead the industry today and tomorrow. Among our talented 35,000 employees are nearly 7,000 veterinarians – including 430 board-certified specialists – nearly 4,000 certified technicians and over 10,000 veterinary assistants – all dedicated to providing pets with the best possible medical care.

As part of the Mars Veterinary Health family of brands, VCA cares about the future of veterinary medicine to help achieve Mars Petcare’s purpose – A Better World for Pets™. To learn more about VCA, visit: www.vca.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

decision

View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vca-animal-hospitals-identified-technology-trends-driving-innovation-in-veterinary-medicine-301731601.html

SOURCE VCA Veterinary Clinics

Learn Crypto Trading, Yield Farms, Income strategies and more at CrytoAnswers
https://nov.link/cryptoanswers