Innovation Station

Veterinary medicine needs more possibilist thinking. Technology holds the key.

In his brilliant book “Factfulness,” physician-statistician Hans Rosling defined “possibilist” as an alternative mindset to an optimist (who simply believes that good outcomes will happen) or a pessimist (who doesn’t spend the energy to imagine good outcomes and who, by the way, is kind of boring). A possibilist instead believes that a strong set of […]

General practitioners, specialists and even students have a role to play in the evolution of telehealth and the elimination of barriers to veterinary services.

Lots of stuff is going on in the world of virtual care as its utilization shifts from innovators to early adopters and becomes more mainstream. Recent articles have shown increased client demand for telehealth services and satisfaction with its use. This past spring, the American Veterinary Medical Association hosted the Veterinary Virtual Care Summit, which […]

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 […]

Do you know who your clients are calling after hours? You can concede the business to someone else or you can take an active role in meeting their needs.

While the telehealth conversation has largely centered on telemedicine and whether a veterinarian can diagnose a case through digital tools, after-hours triage care — nights, weekends and holidays — is an important but often overlooked consideration for practicing veterinarians. The American Association of Veterinary State Boards recently voted on a new model act of practice […]

When introduced and promoted properly, a telemedicine app can improve health care, strengthen the patient bond and increase revenue.

It’s no secret that technology is changing the way health care is delivered. As a veterinarian who manages two Indiana practices, Devonshire Veterinary Clinic in Anderson and Geist Station Animal Hospital in Indianapolis, I have found what works well for me and my team, so I am sometimes hesitant to change the way we deliver […]

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 […]