Walk into any modern restaurant, hotel, dentist office, grocery store - any service-based business -and you will quickly realize the best experiences come from teams using modern technology. We live in a technology-equipped world, and vet med is not immune.‍

92% of employees say having technology that helps them do their job efficiently impacts their work satisfaction. 

With staffing shortages and growing client demand across the country, we have no room for our problems to be exacerbated by outdated processes or outdated software slowing our teams down.

By seeking and adopting modern technology, you equip your people with the tools and resources they need to complete their work more efficiently and effectively. As a result, technology-equipped teams have fewer headaches, provide greater client satisfaction, deliver better pet health outcomes, experience stronger employee engagement, and achieve stronger business performance.

Adopting modern technology is worth every penny and second to implement and maintain. Your teams, and business, will thank you for it.

3 Steps to Adopting Modern Software in Your Veterinary Practice

1. Get feedback from your team

“If one seeks out modern technology that is fast, intuitive, and easy,” Sam, CEO of Vetspire notes, “it can empower every member of the team, from making writing notes faster so doctors can get home earlier to allowing technicians to spend more time with patients and less time on data entry.”

We should be doing everything we can to remove barriers and blockers that get in the way of our people doing their best work. Rather than getting tied up in inefficiencies and frankenstein-ing solutions together, our people “want to be veterinarians, technicians, and carers of pets.” The technology we use should be the wind in our peoples’ sails, not anchors slowing them down.

Want to be intentional about how you gather & receive feedback? Check out rally & our magic wands feature!

Ask your team 3 main questions:

• What tasks are most frustrating?
• What current pieces of technology do you struggle with?
• What’s the most time-consuming part of your day?
  

These questions help identify which areas you should consider automating, what technology you need to improve, and where you can save your people the most time and headache. Chances are, you’ll get some easy ideas and ways to give them a better and more efficient experience at work.

2. Adopt a growth mindset and a culture of continuous improvement

Fred Dijols, CEO of Mixlab, thinks vet med has a bit of a hill to climb. “Technology tools that have been utilized by other industries to manage internal and external communications, track and enhance employee satisfaction and performance, improve workflow and control inventory, or work with partners like pharmacies, are yet to be fully adopted by practitioners.”

Stay on your toes instead of dragging your heels. You should be excited about technological advances!

Become a master of change instead of fearing it. When has anything, in the entire history of time, gotten better by not making change?

We understand change management can be tough. Like any new change, you should be prepared for a learning curve. But you should also be prepared for the many benefits for your people, clients, and business.

3. Partner closely with your technology partners

If you’re ready to adopt modern technology, your new technology partners will be a great resource.

Modern technology teams put great emphasis on customer success. They are there to set your business and teams up for the best results. If problems arise or you have ideas for how to advance the technology even further, you’ll find they’re excited to grow with you.

Take full advantage of modern technology and their support teams to adopt the tools that will propel your business forward!

Want to explore more practical tips?

Check out the section on technology in The Ultimate Guide for Awesome Culture in Veterinary Medicine.

Want to share some of your favorite practical tips?

Collaborate on an article with us! (Email sara@hound.vet for details.)

From the Experts

From Sam Ginn, CEO @ Vetspire:

“Too often today, technology hinders veterinarians in their delivery of care. Through outdated, inefficient, and repetitive interfaces, antiquated technology can be the bane of veterinary professionals’ workdays. Veterinarians and team members often complain that they are forced to change their workflows to meet the limitations of technology, rather than the other way around. Technology should augment doctors—never burden them. As the central nexus for everything that happens in a clinic from medical care to inventory management, the practice management software and the other associated technology which powers vet hospitals serve as the backbone of veterinary care. If the technology is slow, everything in the practice slows down. If one seeks out modern technology, however, that is fast, intuitive, and easy, it can empower every member of the team, from making writing notes faster so doctors can get home earlier to allowing technicians to spend more time with patients and less time on data entry. Veterinary staff members do not want to spend their hours and days in front of the computer clicking away. They want to be veterinarians, technicians, and carers of pets; not glorified computer typists. By adopting modern technology, we can empower our staff to not only be more effective and efficient at their jobs but also enjoy their jobs more, spending less time doing repetitive, monotonous work and more time excelling at what they love: treating pets and helping pet owners.

Modern technology can improve almost every facet of running a successful practice in this age, like automating necessary, but mundane tasks such as inventory management and client communications. Moreover, with the advancement of new innovations, veterinary technology can not only make us more efficient but also aid us in being better practitioners of medicine, from helpfully calculating accurate dosages and ensuring every treatment is given on time to automatically alerting for adverse drug interactions. Technology can be our aid and assistant to make us better. By fully embracing modern, more efficient technology, we can also improve the well-being of our teams as well. Burnout is a huge issue in this industry, and part of the reason is the quality of the tools we work with. By leveraging innovative technology that is easy to use, efficient, and helpful, we can rewrite that story to make our hospitals cultures of excellence and efficiency that value the time spent by every member of the team.

From Fred Dijols, CEO @ Mixlab:

"Embracing modern technology will allow the vet med industry to improve quality of care and drive efficiencies which will ultimately lead to a better quality of life and culture. 

Technology tools that have been utilized by other industries to manage internal and external communications, track and enhance employee satisfaction and performance, improve workflow and control inventory, or work with partners like pharmacies, are yet to be fully adopted by practitioners.

I believe change is coming and I’m really excited about the prospect of progress!"

From Mark Decourcy, CEO @ Ellie Diagnostics:

"The vet med industry can support their people by ensuring entrepreneurs and leaders seek and adopt modern technology. Relationships with technology partners can help them break the mold of industry norms. Modern technology is already quickly becoming available from new innovative companies like Hound, Ellie Diagnostics, and many others.

The impact that adopting these new technologies will have on culture can be tremendous. Better technology can have a direct impact on the quality of patient care and quality of life for veterinary professionals."