Veterinary professionals and IT professionals don’t seem to have a lot in common. When it comes to addressing client issues, though, both parties tend to go all-in to scope out the situation and map out viable solutions. Both veterinary and IT professionals want the recipients of their care – animals and technology – to have the longest lifespan possible.
As a veterinary professional, there are many things you want pet owners to know to keep their pets happy and healthy. The same goes for how IT professionals feel about you as a technology user. One of the biggest things IT pros want you to know is the value of in-depth training and on-going education for technology.
Training ensures you capitalize on all available tech capabilities
IT professionals often say that 80% of customers use only 20% of the features in a given piece of technology. While this may sound a bit far-fetched, just think about all your mobile phone’s features and app. How many settings, configurations and capabilities do you actually use? Unless you’re the type to read the user manual cover-to-cover, it’d be hard to say.
According to research, 20% of software features are used often and a staggering 50% are hardly, or never, used. The remaining 30% are a “gray area … where features and functions are used sometimes or infrequently.”
Use training to maximize the ROI on your veterinary software
The 80:20 rule implies a significant amount of untapped potential in technology. If you happen to be among the cohorts of “under-users,” you’re, unfortunately, not getting the best return on your software investment. You’re paying for features that could enhance your practice productivity, but you’re not converting that potential value into actual returns for your practice.
Training, though, helps you flip the script around the ever-evolving world of software and technology in your favor. Every time your practice software is updated, expert-run training services can let your staff to use all the new productivity and efficiency advantages at their fingertips.
Well-trained staff are also better equipped to have more positive experiences with their work. There are fewer frustrating moments of “I can’t figure out how to…” or “I don’t know where to find that…” They become faster in carrying out standard tasks and more confident in troubleshooting or solving unusual requests. Ultimately, reducing the time, effort and stress that work places on your employees not only improves your operational efficiency, it also spares you costs lost to turnover and burnout.
Why training is worth it, in a nut shell
Customized, expert training delivers dividends on your software and technology investments. It takes the onus off you to onboard new employees. There’s less change for you to manage when new software versions are rolled out. And, your IT support professionals won’t need to see you as frequently for bugs or fixes.
Three Covetrus software features you can unlock with training
Covetrus offers on-going education and training services. It’s part of our efforts to constantly innovate and upgrade our offerings to make sure we’re equipping veterinary professionals to be as effective, efficient and successful in their work as possible.
Virtual Consults
Since Covid-19 struck in 2020, telemedicine – including virtual consults – has been a big help in enabling the ongoing care of animals.
Figures vary, but estimates place the rise in veterinary telehealth during the coronavirus between 15%, on the low end, and 60% on the higher end. However, virtual consults shouldn’t just be reserved for extraordinary times. They can be an incredibly useful tool in the day-to-day running of your practice.
Once virtual consults are implemented in your practice, you can expect the following benefits from this ‘new way of caring’:
- Provide patient consults in a safe manner during the pandemic, in compliance with all state mandates.
- Conduct quick and easy outpatient consults for cases that may not need a full exam.
- Provide an alternate method for speaking with clients who are housebound or can’t drive.
- Integrate these virtual appointments – and the medical records associated with them – into your practice schedule and patient records.
Search and Sort Communications
Your client database is a rich source of information that can be used to streamline your practice operations and improve client communications.
Training can unlock the value in your database. For example, you can run queries to extract valuable information and use it to run insightful reports or to communicate with clients. Data can be used to answer different questions, but training helps to ensure the information delivers direct utility to your practice, and answers lead to meaningful actions.
Email Communications Integrations
Covetrus practice software also allows you to directly email clients from medical records or patient processing modules. Communications include copies of patient records, estimates, invoices, and lab work, to mention a few.
In addition, the software also keeps a record of all communication and links any emails from the client back to the patient record too. That way, you and your team can see at a glance all outgoing and incoming communications with a client.