| In April 2017, the College of Veterinarians of Ontario made a groundbreaking update regarding the practice of veterinary medicine: for the first time in Canadian history, it was determined that a VCPR could be established digitally. This decision was in response to several demographic trends, including: 1) that 75% of millennials and 65% of baby boomers own pets; 2) online veterinary communication was suitable for both of these pet owning groups, for reasons including convenience and mobility; 3) the majority of North Americans already operate within the digital economy. People were already searching the internet for information regarding pet health and wellness, but search results are often untrustworthy. The CVO and OVMA are now partnering with industry stakeholders to try and replace untrustworthy with reliable online information.
How do practice managers, DVMs and RTVs respond to this update in policy and shift in consumer behaviour? This workshop will discuss the implications of this policy shift and how video enabled telemedicine is:
1. Improving the state of veterinary medicine 2. Improving veterinary-client relationships 3. Improving the competitiveness of clinics through increased foot traffic and revenue We will look at data collected through real examples to determine:
1. What issues can be addressed online 2. How to handle risks associated with telemedicine 3. How to implement telemedicine within the clinic 4. How to triage online consults into the clinic, when appropriate The aforementioned 4 issues will be determined through interactive discussion and debate. Author:
Emma Harris - Founder and CEO of healthypets.io (www.healthypets.io) |