Good communication is the foundation for every aspect of optimal veterinary care. Proper communication with your team members, clients, and referral veterinarians is crucial to ensure your pet patients receive the care they need and deserve. Veterinary practice management software (PMS) enables you to easily communicate with everyone involved in a case to ensure all necessary information is available, so you can provide the best possible care for your patients. StringSoft PMS can enhance your practice’s communication in many ways.

#1: Improving communication among veterinary team members

On a busy day when several appointments are scheduled, every team member must work together and communicate effectively to efficiently provide exceptional care for every patient. Fully electronic medical records facilitate productive communication by ensuring all patient information is quickly accessible and available, and that all important documents, such as client information, patient history, current vitals, laboratory results, and diagnostic images, can be conveniently retrieved with a few simple keystrokes. Additionally, all veterinary team members can easily view the day’s appointments and know what to expect. Valuable veterinary PMS features include:

  • Automated SOAP entries — Each veterinary team member associated with a case can make an individually coded SOAP entry, allowing everyone on the case to fully understand the patient’s current status. If a team member has a question about an entry, they know exactly who to seek out. In addition, the entries automatically attach charges and schedule treatments, so charges are not missed, and treatments are administered on time.
  • Laboratory interfaces — Veterinary PMS allows interface creation to in-house equipment, reference labs, and lab information systems, so team members can easily access their patient’s lab results.
  • Smart imaging — Images can be imported from scans, cameras, disks, and picture archiving and communication system (PACS) servers, so all team members can conveniently view their patient’s diagnostic images.
  • Appointment scheduling — The day’s schedule can be viewed in a grid or an Outlook style view, so veterinary team members can plan their day.

#2: Improving communication between veterinarians and pet owners

A recent Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) study demonstrated that most pet owners consider their pet an important part of their family. These bonded pet owners expect high-quality care from their veterinarian, starting with good communication. Effective communication with clients increases after-care compliance, enhances pet owner satisfaction, and can improve better pet health outcomes. Veterinary PMS facilitates client communication in several ways, including:

  • Texting — Messages can be texted to the client through the PMS, and the owner’s response will appear on the communications screen.
  • Appointment reminders — Veterinary PMS automates client appointment reminders, and the client can confirm, change, or cancel the appointment via text message.
  • Client portal — A convenient client portal allows pet owners to log in to view future appointments, request appointments, refill prescriptions, and view and make payments. In addition, when a client sends a message to the veterinarian, their message will appear on the communications screen with an alert that the veterinarian has a new communication.

Multiple communication routes will help your clients feel informed about their pet’s care, and ensure they can notify you if their pet experiences a complication. This connection fosters satisfaction and loyalty, and improves patient care.

#3: Improving communication between referring and receiving veterinarians

a doctor holding a tablet with a network of people on it

When a pet is referred for further diagnostics or an advanced procedure, effective communication is crucial. The receiving veterinarian must know what the case entails, and the referring veterinarian needs to understand what follow-up care is needed. The veterinary PMS referral portal facilitates easy communication between both parties. Valuable features include:

  • Electronic submission — Referring veterinarians can send referral letters electronically, creating a submitted case. Once the client makes an appointment or checks in, the submitted case is attached to the pet’s medical record. Additional information, including lab work, diagnostic images, and other relevant documents, can also be electronically submitted through the referral portal.
  • Remote access — The referring veterinarian can remotely access his or her patient’s case for status updates, depending on what information is made accessible for each referring veterinarian.
  • Bidirectional communication — The referral portal allows messages to be sent between referring and receiving veterinarians to ensure everyone has the necessary information about each case.

Good veterinary care begins with good communication, and veterinary PMS facilitates communication with everyone involved in a pet’s care. Every practice can benefit from improved communication, so contact StringSoft for a complimentary consultation and demonstration.