1. AI in Diagnostics
It’s now hard to imagine life without AI in any capacity. From chatbots, to content creators, to virtual assistants and more, there’s endless applications. A deeper and more substantial degree of AI diagnostics has been made available to veterinary practices, which means that they may now take advantage of all of its efficiencies and benefits.
For example, The Zoetis Vetscan Imagyst® allows practitioners to diagnose patients within hours or minutes, or companies like SIGNALPet are enabling vets to more accurately diagnose and treat conditions like cancer.
2. Pet wearables
Pet wearables are an overlooked trend, particularly as there’s a relatively low level of knowledge and awareness among Australian pet owners, yet this market will be worth USD$649 million.
This is a great chance for veterinary clinics to stock pet wearables, incorporate them into pet-health programs, or stay current on any current software integrations with wearables. Doing so would put you ahead of the game and enhance your offerings.
3. Veterinary telemedicine
One area that has maintained its prominence since COVID-19 is telemedicine for the diagnosis and treatment of pets. Everyone loves convenience or an efficiency boost, so it is a win-win situation when vets can do online exams and prescribe medication for pets, saving time and effort for everyone involved. According to Future Market Insights, pet owners increasingly prefer video consultations for diagnostic and treatment consultations of their pets.
A 2023 PR Newswire press release outlines 18 advantages of using veterinary telemedicine. Given the prominence of AI and pet wearables mentioned above, it comes as no surprise that there is a high likelihood of all of these devices working together like a perfectly orchestrated symphony!
Telemedicine enables veterinary teams to enable high-quality care at a faster frequency and coupled with smart pet wearables like tracking collars, this eliminates the need for frequent examinations.
4. Pet-health plans
While not technically considered a technology, pet-health plans are typically only available or easier to offer if you have the right mechanisms, tools and practice management software in place.
This shouldn’t be disregarded as a significant source of ongoing income, since it allows practices to offer customers subscription-type benefits, which can boost loyalty or encourage repeat business. As an example of a healthy offering, we like the way Greencross Vets package their pet-health plan. There are numerous ways you can monetise your services as well as provide excellence in animal healthcare.
5. 3D Printing
3D printing is revolutionising veterinary medicine by providing custom solutions for surgical planning, prosthetics, and implants. This technology allows for personalised treatment plans that fit the unique needs of each animal. It goes way beyond prosthetics and EOS intelligence identifies five different printing applications as well as current challenges.
6. Robotics in surgery
Robotic-assisted surgery is becoming more common in veterinary medicine, offering greater precision, reduced trauma, and shorter recovery times for pets undergoing surgery.
At the Texas School of A&M University, School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS), Chairperson, Dr. Kelley Theiman says:
“Robotic-assisted surgery is very futuristic. Veterinarians have seen more desire for minimally invasive procedures because it’s what we get as humans. Looking at ways to bring this tool into veterinary medicine is keeping up with the peak of what’s being offered to humans for surgery. I think we should work to offer surgical options in veterinary medicine that are offered in human medicine.”
SRT, an extensive database of Robotics technology in all industries, also shows the latest developments in this space.
7. Cloud-Based Veterinary Practice Management Software (PMS)
According to Mordor Intelligence, Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing market for practices adopting PMS. The global veterinary practice management software market was valued at USD $363 million in 2020 and is projected to reach USD $522.08 million by 2027. DVM360 also shows that veterinary businesses will continue to adopt cloud-based solutions with a 6-8% increase each year, reaching 84% penetration by 2030. The continuous drive to improve efficiency, save time, reduce costs, improve client and patient care, foster clinic loyalty and provide timely pet-parent communications is not slowing down. Cloud-based PMS helps enable this.
Covetrus Ascend, our cloud-based PMS, has saved clinics over 12 hours per week and grown by +250% users in 2023 alone. It offers an end-to-end experience and is a natural fit for many vet practices due to its simplicity, ease-of-use and frictionless experience. Plus, clinics are supported by their dedicated customer success specialist at no additional cost when onboarded with Covetrus.
One of the most significant advancements within PMS is the incorporation of EHRs. The integration of AI algorithms into EHRs has been a game-changer, making records more complete, accurate, and easier to use. This technology not only frees clinicians to focus more on animal care but also improves the accuracy and efficiency of disease management and treatment.
8. Client communication platforms
Effective communication between veterinarians and pet owners is key to successful patient outcomes. Digital platforms and apps facilitate this communication, providing appointment scheduling, reminders, medical updates and promotional emails. Typically, these platforms are integrated into a reliable PMS and it can most certainly help you achieve customer loyalty, higher rates of customer satisfaction and improve acquisition rates.
9. Self-serve technology
Another key area that is overlooked or not yet discussed widely is the next generation’s expectation of tech-enabled conveniences. Making the client experience as seamless as possible is crucial for a veterinary clinic. This includes allowing patients to schedule appointments online using your website, using digital self-check-in tools and patient kiosks, paying online, and completing forms online. Check out what some of our amazing Connected Partners are doing in this space. Our Connected Partners help fulfil these workflows by integrating with our practice management software.
Once again, these are usually integrated into a quality PMS to reduce the use of siloed technologies. You should seek out unified, well-integrated technology that can drive a highly efficient and effective operation at your practice.
10. Genetic testing technology
Precision medicine and genetic testing may become increasingly important in veterinary care as our understanding of pet genetics develops. Treatment regimens can be more effectively and individually tailored if they take into account a pet’s genetic composition.
StartUS insights use their research and innovation map, where they analysed 640 global startups and scaleups to identify emerging technologies used in the veterinary industry and they identified genomics as a key area.
Overall, we believe these key areas represent exciting developments in veterinary technology, each with the potential to profoundly impact how veterinarians care for animals and how pet owners interact with the veterinary system.
As market leaders in the Practice Management Software domain, we are big believers in streamlining your workflow, whether it be through more effective consultations, more efficient front-desk encounters, or simpler follow-up communications.
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