How vet telehealth works for veterinarians (from a veterinarian)

It’s probably not surprising that most people in first world countries have adopted a digital-first mentality. Consumers and businesses alike expect to accomplish as much as possible through the internet before having to visit a physical location, even for health-related matters.

Veterinary clinics — with their use of pet portal apps and vet telehealth solutions — are no exception. In 2022, the value of the global vet telehealth market was $149.5 million, according to a Grand View Research report. That number will likely increase to $546.8 million by 2030.

Vets around the world are embracing vet telehealth as a viable service for a number of reasons. Keep reading to learn not only why vet telehealth is rising in popularity, but also how it works and what solutions you can use to support it and other operational areas.

What is vet telehealth?

Veterinary telehealth, or vet telehealth for short, involves using technology to deliver animal health information, education, or care virtually. Vet clinics and other vet service providers often use this form of telehealth to meet with animal owners to conduct routine checkups and to triage acute or chronic animal illnesses.

Local animal clinics may also use vet telehealth to counsel animal owners on issues or diagnoses that they’ve identified while physically caring for the animal. And there are virtual clinics that provide more general advice through online consultations addressing animal health and wellness, diet and nutrition, and behavior.

“These vet telehealth consultations use video — no physical visits are involved — and typically act as a more informed first response for animal owners,” says Patrik Holmboe, head veterinarian at Cooper Pet Care, who treats animals around the world. “Video enables animal owners to show areas of concern on their pet to a vet to determine whether a trip to a physical clinic or hospital is warranted.”

For example, Holmboe says he once had a pet owner contact him about their cat because the animal had a blue tongue. The concerned owner had done a Google search, which revealed that the seeming discoloration might be a symptom of a dangerous condition. “Yes, a very blue tongue could indicate a serious cardiovascular issue,” he says, “but in actually seeing the cat on video, it was clear the tongue had more of a blue pigment that was within normal parameters for the species.”

Benefits of vet telehealth

What makes vet telehealth such a popular choice? Consider these benefits:

• Greater convenience: People lead busy lives, and making time for a vet visit — especially for what might be a trivial issue — may not always be easy. Being able to offer the option just to hop on a call and avoid taking time away from work or family obligations is a great draw for customers.
• Wider availability: Animal health issues don’t always conveniently occur during business hours. So when a worried pet parent needs advice at 9:30 p.m., who are they going to call? You — assuming you offer after-hours vet telehealth options!
• Healthier animals: Both pet owners and vets want the best for their animals. Giving owners the option of vet telehealth ensures they can access your professional knowledge rather than running a Google search that may lead them down the wrong path.
• Accessibility: Not every animal owner is down the street or across town from an animal clinic. Owners may be in rural areas or have mobility issues that make it difficult for them to visit a clinic in person. Vet telehealth makes animal care more accessible for these owners — it also gives clinics the opportunity to expand their customer base.
• Increased revenue: All the above benefits have a hand in increasing revenue. Moreover, with some patients choosing telehealth over in-person visits, you may also have time to fit in more patients.

Challenges of vet telehealth

While the benefits of vet telehealth outweigh any drawbacks, it’s important to be aware of the potential downsides:

• No prescribing capabilities: “Unless you have a maintained VCPR in place, which requires a physical examination, you won’t be able to prescribe medication,” Holmboe explains. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) says a VCPR, or veterinarian-client-patient relationship, exists when your veterinarian knows your pet well enough to be able to diagnose and treat any medical conditions it develops.
• No physical exam: Holmboe says that while veterinarians can address some animal health issues through a video call, many problems will require seeing the pet in the flesh. “A physical exam is very important for the overall, long-term health of the animal,” he says.
• Poor video quality: Whether due to a dated camera or a poor connection, poor video quality may hinder some telehealth calls. “This means you won’t be able to see your pet patient well, which may necessitate the owner either sending clear pictures or visiting the clinic in person,” Holmboe explains.
• Tech illiteracy: In some cases, Holmboe says, animal owners may not know how to properly operate their devices or the software you use at your clinic. “This is especially common in older animal owners, and it can make the call more challenging.”

How does vet telehealth work?

Vet telehealth comprises two typical events:

• Primary care consultation
• Third-party consultation

A primary care consultation occurs when a vet at a clinic has already seen the owner’s animal and conducted a physical exam. In that interest, Holmboe says, the vet may have scheduling and video software that integrate with one another or a single solution that has both features. The owner will schedule a time and show up (virtually) for the consultation.

“You’ll then perform your standard care based on the pet’s needs, whether that care is a follow-up to a previous visit or triage of a new issue,” Holmboe explains. “If you have a VCPR established and it’s legal according to your local laws, you may also prescribe medication — though, in some cases, you may simply recommend over-the-counter medicines such as anti-vomiting remedies or eye drops.”

A third-party consultation occurs when the provider is one that has not established care with an initial physical exam. This is often a one-time scenario with an online-only clinic. Holmboe says this type of consultation requires some additional preparation from the animal owner, and it limits what the vet can do.

Owners will need to provide information about their pet that the vet would otherwise already have, such as the animal’s species, age, and clinical history. They’ll also need to provide a description of symptoms or issues and upload any relevant pictures or videos of the issue in question.

“Owners are also typically required to pay prior to the call — they would go through a checkout experience similar to buying a product,” Holmboe explains. “After purchase, they would receive a link for the video call and meet for the amount of time they selected. The most common issues vets address deal with skin, such as lumps and rashes.”

What are some effective veterinary practice management solutions?

Vet telehealth is a small part of a clinic’s operations. It’s important to have a solution for general practice management so your staff is able to efficiently address administrative aspects like employee and customer scheduling, inventory tracking, and more.

Whether you’re in the market for your first veterinary practice management solution or you are considering finding a new one, here’s a brief list of options. (According to the software review site G2, at least 75 percent of reported users of each of the solutions below are small businesses.) 

1. Covetrus Pulse

Rated 4.1 on G2, Covetrus Pulse is a cloud-based veterinary practice management solution that provides real-time access to patient and client records, integrated payment processing, and automated service and appointment reminders.

Key features:

• Practice whiteboard
• Client communications
• Prescription management
• Payment processing

2. Cornerstone Practice Management 

Rated 3.9 on G2, Cornerstone Practice Management from IDEXX helps you manage efficiency and profitability by streamlining and expediting your practice’s administrative management of client relationships, patient care, and client service.

Key features:

• Scheduling
• Inventory tracking
• Electronic medical recordkeeping (EMR)
• Compliance assessments

3. DaySmart Vet

Rated 4.1 on G2, DaySmart Vet is cloud-based business management software designed to help veterinary clinics and similar organizations manage their operations from anywhere.

Key features:

• Automated reminders
• Streamlined check-in and check-out processes
• Appointment scheduling
• Reporting

4. NaVetor

Rated 4.4 on G2, NaVetor is cloud-based software that enables you to streamline your workday, get a quick snapshot of practice activity, and maintain EMRs.

Key features:

• Dashboards
• Lab linking and documentation
• Inventory management
• Reputation management

5. Neo

Rated 3.6 on G2, Neo is a web-based veterinary practice management software from IDEXX. A veterinarian developed it to help practices simplify day-to-day operations.

Key features:

• Practice dashboard
• Patient workflow management
• Scheduling
• Payments

How can Jotform support your vet telehealth efforts?

Jotform is a powerful form builder that enables veterinary clinics to efficiently tackle scheduling and track patient visits. Take advantage of these templates to improve your clinic operations:

• Vet appointment form: This online form lets animal owners quickly schedule appointments at your clinic. Embed it on your website for greater convenience.
• Veterinarian visit tracker: Need a record of patient visits? Use this Jotform Tables tracker template, which lets you enter key information like patient demographics; visit dates and times; diagnostic, therapeutic, and history notes; and appointment reminders. You can even upload pictures.
• Veterinarian app: Combine multiple vet forms in this vet app. For example, you can schedule appointments for general checkups, pet grooming, or doggy daycare. You can also get an owner’s e-signature-certified consent for animal vaccinations. No coding is required, and you can use the app’s drag-and-drop interface to easily tailor it to your needs.

Customize each template to your liking — add or delete fields, change text, and even modify the colors and logo to match your brand. Get started with one of the above templates or any of the 100-plus vet and pet-related forms on Jotform today.

Photo by: Nappy.co