Now is the time for CE providers and users to demand more from learning experiences and work together to raise the standards.

Creative Disruption columnist Dr. Bob Lester wrote in the last issue about the state of most in-person continuing education. (Read “Always Be Learning” at http://bit.ly/2ZMT7qt.) A lot of CE, he stated, is delivered in dark rooms and 50-minute chunks by a sage on the stage, a format he described as “arguably, the worst adult learning modality.” […]

The move toward biomarker testing is an example of the expansion of preventive, predictive, personalized and participatory animal health care.

Thought leaders in human medicine like Leroy Hood, Ray Kurzweil and Daniel Kraft have been talking about the four P’s of medicine for decades, but only recently have we seen a growing awareness of predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory forms of medicine within veterinary medicine. In particular, at the Veterinary Innovation Summit in April, Jon […]

The Veterinary Innovation Summit showed that pet health care is moving from reactive and acute to proactive and preventive. You can thank telehealth, wearables and other technology-driven ideas.

When a person blinks or a dog scratches his ear and the event isn’t recorded, it’s a moment in time likely to pass unnoticed and unaccounted for, one in an endless series of moments that have no beginning and no end. But what happens when that moment is recorded and someone is paying attention? When […]

The Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy is training the next generation of veterinary business leaders.

Inspiration for the Veterinary Entrepreneurship Academy began in the fall of 2010 when Adam Little, then a student at Ontario Veterinary College, had an idea to help veterinary practices connect with their clients through a mobile app. While most of his colleagues were studying physiology, Little was learning about prototyping, pitching and product development. His […]

Whether you support it or not, telehealth is here to stay.

An important moment passed us by without much fanfare. At the Connexity conference in September 2018, the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association jointly produced a how-to guide on telehealth. “The Real-Life Rewards of Virtual Care” outlines step-by-step instructions for implementing telehealth tools, what to consider in terms of technology and […]

The changing veterinary-client-patient relationship requirement will open up new opportunities for care.

The American Association of Veterinary State Boards this year released a model telehealth policy for public review and comment. The policy includes a provision allowing for the possibility of establishing a veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) without the necessity of a hands-on examination. Here is the specific language: “A veterinarian using telehealth must take appropriate steps to […]

Human biotech leaders would welcome a closer relationship with animal health interests.

This past spring, a group gathered in snowy Dedham, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. The theme of the Human Biotech and Animal Health Business Partnering Summit was the need to explore collaboration between human and animal health. Organized by Kiasco Research, the meeting also highlighted how the veterinary community can benefit. Here’s how: 1. Lessen […]

Digital drivers are moving the industry forward, but not every clinic business model will survive.

The veterinary profession is undergoing a period of unprecedented change. This cliché is usually accompanied by a series of tropes like: Revenues are increasing but new-client numbers are staying flat. Veterinarians are experiencing burnout at an increasing rate. Corporate consolidation is putting more pressure on small practices. New models of low-cost care are putting upward […]

Corporate jockeying, telemedicine's evolution and new models of care all moved the veterinary needle.

2017 was a big year for the animal care industry. Now that we’re a couple of months into 2018, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the changes that took place. 1. Big Companies Made Bigger Moves What happened: VCA was acquired by Mars. Thrive Affordable Vet Care grew the low-cost, high-quality model. […]

Novices can utilize text messaging, website tools and video platforms to begin elevating the level of client interaction and communication.

A year ago, most of my conversations about telehealth began with a puzzled look on the veterinarian’s face and the question, “What is this telehealth everyone talks about?” Today, those conversations begin with, “I’m just getting too many emails/text messages/phone calls and not recouping any money for my time. Is there some app that can […]