VCA Animal Hospitals identifies the technology trends driving innovation in veterinary medicine

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The future of veterinary medicine will see deeper integration of digital and in-person care, enhancing experiences for practitioners, pets and their owners

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Tablets used in hospital rooms for writing prescriptions and checking out customers. Chatbot to find available appointments. Virtual assistants with credentials that reduce the need for note-taking during exams and improve the quality of record keeping. The continuity of that begins at home or on the go, online and on our phones, through an in-person hospital visit. Our pets are starting to experience how technology-enabled care can improve their health and well-being. Today, VCA Animal Hospitals unveiled key trends that will change the way care is delivered, expanding access to care for pets and their owners, and improving the experience for pet professionals.

“We are on the verge of unlocking an experience that allows care teams to see the pets that need them while reducing the work that distracts from the joy of caring for these pets,” said Garrett Lewis, Chief Operating Officer of VCA Animal Hospitals. “We’re working to focus on operational excellence supported by deeper integration between our in-person care teams and digital tools. Pilots are getting us started, but it’s the focused and consistent applications of the technology that will improve care of pets and the life of our Associates”.

The future of veterinary medicine will lead to a seamless mix of digital, virtual and in-person care. Innovation trends driving this future include:

Access to 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 turned to providing care via video calls and text messaging for the first time. Expect to see more triage services offered virtually, complementing in-person assistance. For example, VCA offers its customers access to free live chat with an accredited veterinary technician around the clock via the myVCA app. Pet owners can quickly get expert guidance if, for example, their dog has eaten something they shouldn’t eat and if that requires an in-person visit. The doctor will see you now, on video. Unlike video calling some owners may have experienced, telehealth involves a doctor you may not see in your home hospital. Improvements in technology and growing interest from professionals and consumers will drive an expansion of telehealth options. VCA, for example, plans to introduce a telehealth option in several states later this year. Book appointments according to your schedule. Traditionally, booking an appointment with the vet meant a phone call away. Today, pet hospitals are rapidly 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. Doctors get virtual and accredited scribes. Veterinarians 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 after-hours notes. Soon, this cost to physicians could be eliminated as accredited technicians assist virtually, transcribing recorded dictations from physicians. In turn, clinicians will have more time to spend with patients and clients in the hospital, ultimately expanding access. In 2022, VCA launched an internal Scribe program that currently supports over 200 physicians, with plans to support over 1,000 physicians by the end of the year. Native hospital technology. Soon the hospital experience will be different too. More and more hospitals will adopt virtual waiting rooms, similar to waiting for a table at the famous restaurant at home. Virtual care options like remote customer service representatives will allow some hospitals to rethink their front desk, eliminating ringing phones from the lobby space and allowing teams to focus on pets and the customers in front of them. VCA has brought these trends together in the new VCA Animal Hospitals Urgent Care facilities, 17 of which will open this year alone.

“The push to integrate digital technologies has been underway for years, but the COVID pandemic has accelerated the adoption of everyone’s plans which could have taken years and months as we all had to move quickly,” said Abe Al-Murjan, Vice President, Digital Products at VCA. “Successful technology integration requires unrelenting attention to our purpose and the people and pets we serve. Whenever a new platform or app enters the picture, we always start by asking: How does this help improve lives of our teams and the pets and customers they care for?”

Learn more about these trends and how they contribute to the world-class medicine delivered by VCA’s hometown hospital network by visiting www.vcahospitals.com.

Information about VCA animal hospitals

A leader in veterinary care, VCA Animal Hospitals is committed to caring for the future of veterinary medicine. We are a family of pet hospitals determined to make a positive impact on pets, people and our communities. From general practice to emergency and specialty care, VCA provides world-class medical care and city care to more than four million pets each year. We invest in cutting-edge tools, education and technology that enable members of our nationwide network of hospitals to lead the industry today and tomorrow. Among our talented 35,000 associates are nearly 7,000 veterinarians, including 430 board-certified specialists, nearly 4,000 accredited technicians and over 10,000 veterinary assistants, all dedicated to providing pets with the very best in medical care.

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

SOURCE VCA Animal Hospitals

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