Getting the Most Out of Veterinary Cloud Software
Outdated practice management software can limit your team’s productivity and be a constant source of frustration that brings down morale. However, modern veterinary cloud software can free you from server-based annoyances and give your practice the necessary tools to thrive in the digital age. Cloud software is easily upgraded and integrates with digital platforms and third-party applications, so you can run your practice from a single window.
After transitioning to cloud-based software, evaluate and overhaul daily workflows to maximize all the features. Change is hard, so start small and then work your way up to include more hospital areas that need improvement. Here are some entry-level ways to leverage cloud-based tools and get started on your path to efficient digital operations.
1. Leverage tablets for mobility
Tablets and laptops are game-changers for veterinary practices because team members can create a workstation anywhere in the hospital. They can review records at a hospitalized pet’s beside, share images with clients in an exam room, or check curbside clients in and out with cloud-based software anywhere you have internet access. You can also use tablets to snap photos of patients or documents, which you can quickly upload in the record without emailing or scanning files.
2. Track patient care with digital whiteboards
Most veterinary hospitals use some form of a whiteboard with timers and checklists to track daily hospitalized, drop-off, and surgical patients to ensure no task falls through the cracks. A digital whiteboard can replace your analog version, checklists and all. A monitor in the treatment area can display the whiteboard or let team members access and update the whiteboard throughout the day from any workstation. With real-time updates in your veterinary cloud software, everyone can track patient status, update clients, and stay on top of the day’s workflows.
3. Automate routine tasks to save time
Automation can save your team hours of busy work each week, helping you get more done and see more patients with fewer human resources. Appointment reminders, follow-up emails, confirmations, and online patient booking keep CSRs off the phone and help reduce no-shows and cancellations. You can also automate inventory and ordering by setting alerts and reorder levels in your software or with an integrated inventory management app that analyzes order and use patterns.
4. Enable remote access for flexible work
Cloud-based software is accessible from anywhere, which opens up a whole new world of possibilities for veterinary teams. Although veterinary professionals should avoid taking work home at the end of their regular workday, with cloud software, managers can incorporate remote work time into hybrid schedules. Veterinarians and technicians can work on records, complete telehealth visits, or communicate with clients from anywhere, while CSRs and managers can complete administrative tasks or answer phones from a quiet location outside the clinic’s hustle and bustle.
5. Centralize communication for improved collaboration
Veterinary cloud software's built-in messaging and chat features help simplify internal communications. Team members can message each other or the larger hospital staff discreetly, without client knowledge, regardless of their location in the clinic. Centralized communication allows team members to eliminate outside tools and distractions and focus on a single software window.
6. Use digital tools to enhance the client experience
Veterinary cloud software and its associated digital tools can smooth the client experience. Digital check-in forms save time and reduce paperwork, so the check-in experience is streamlined from day one. Payment processing with cloud-based billing gives clients convenient payment methods—in person, online, via text, or in the exam room. Sending treatment plans, estimates, lab results, and educational materials digitally engages clients in their pet’s care and gives them information to reference.
Cloud-based software technologies and features can streamline your practice, create a better work environment for your team, and help you craft a client-centric experience. However, adapting to a new veterinary cloud software system can take time, but as you incorporate more software features into daily practice, you’ll see how moving to the cloud can transform your practice for the better.
