Category: Marketing

Top 5 Dental Offers for Clients During Pet Dental Month

by easyDVM

Finding new clients can be challenging, so you need to give the public a reason to visit your practice.

Since February is National Pet Dental Health Month, it’s a great time to educate your clients on the importance of optimal dental care — but how?

In order to benefit both your client’s pet and your business, incentives can be offered to get these pet owners through the door. From there, you can spread awareness about pet oral health, as you grow your client base.

If you want to get creative, here are some ways you can attract new business, while helping the pets within your community. The following five incentives are attractive to potential clients, all while showcasing your presence in the community.

1. Create a Unique Pet Oral Health Kit for New Clients

When new clients visit your practice, they will receive the kit you’ve put together. These kits can include a toothbrush, dental treats, toothpaste, etc. By educating these clients, they’ll also be more open to dental cleanings in the future. In order for this incentive to be successful, you need to promote your practice and this offer specifically.

2. Make Clients Aware of Pain Prevention

In many cases, it’s not that clients don’t care — it’s that they’re unaware. What appears to be just a case of bad breath could potentially indicate a more serious health concern. Start a blog on your website, so that you can post interesting, informative pieces, adding value to pet owners.

In this case, no pet owner wants their pet to suffer, so give them an inside look at what poor oral health can lead to. Before and after pictures are always effective. You could even create an online video, showcasing some common procedures within your practice to improve pet oral health, then send it out to your mailing list. Also, encourage your audience to share your content!

3. Work With Local Groups and Businesses to Donate Items

Once you have a little hype around the importance of pet oral health, reach out to other organizations or groups within your community to collaborate. You could advertise that the first 15 clients who register for a cleaning will receive an item valued at X amount. The groups, shelters or organizations you work with can also advertise through their platforms.

4. Run a Promotion for Both New and Loyal Customers

Whether you pin flyers in local businesses or advertise on social media, run a promotion in regards to a client’s first oral health procedure. For both new and loyal customers, you can offer a discount or a free gift. Perhaps you have developed a loyalty points system? If so, double standard offers in relation to any oral health care appointments.

5. Share and Display Positive Reviews Based on Past Experiences

Clients want to see that other pet owners have had a positive experience with you. If you have had customers schedule oral health procedures in the past, reach out to them for an honest review. You can offer them some sort of incentive, such as 10 percent off their next cleaning. Display these reviews on your website’s home page and within your practice.

Although you have plenty to focus on within your practice, don’t forget about the world outside of your practice. You need to be innovative in order to grow your clientele, all while solidifying your place as an expert in your community. Get involved and be creative this National Pet Dental Health Month — it will be pay off in the long term!

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Getting Veterinary Clients in the Door (A Few Reminders…)

by easyDVM

Content marketing can seem like a complicated endeavour. But, just like anything in business, content marketing is only as daunting as you make it. I understand that may sound a little naive, but there is certainly a grain of truth to the notion that we can over-complicate any task when we lose sight of that task’s guiding principles. Content marketing is a multi-step process, but the strategies that surround content marketing are based on largely common sense and practical principles and guidelines. If nothing else, I am here to remind you of a few of those guidelines and hopefully relieve some stress surrounding content marketing strategies and applications.

Take time to think about your practice and your clients

Before you can generate actual content, take a deep breath and brainstorm about what your practice means to you and your clients. If you don’t clearly define the terms of your practice ( i.e. how you want it to be perceived, what you want it to accomplish, and how you want it to impact your clients), how can you expect to define the terms of your marketing strategy? When you are generating content, it can become very clear very quickly whether your content is being guided by a clear and concise vision. Constructing that clear practice vision can help define your goals and construct a holistic marketing strategy. In essence, treat this brainstorm time like a scientific case study; before you can conduct the study, you must define the terms and variables that will guide your study. Content marketing is no different.

Be brutally honest with yourself

When generating content, you must be brutally honest with yourself. If writing was never your strong-suit, it may not be the worst idea to look elsewhere for content generation. This might mean looking in-house for people on your team that could generate engaging content or be trained to do so, or even outsourcing your marketing to a professional in the marketing field. Either path with require some investment, but if you’re serious of generating engaging content that will bring people in the door (or are reading this post), then I’m sure you understand that. If you decide to remove yourself from the direct marketing process, do not feel that you must exclude yourself entirely. Do not discount your knowledge as a veterinary professional. Whether you decide to stay in-house or outsource your content marketing, utilize your expertise and insight.

Rough draft versus final draft

It’s like you never left college! This might seem like common sense, but the editing and optimization process is vital once you’ve generated content. Check for spelling errors, the presence and placement of keywords, content organization, plagiarism, etc. Treat your marketing content like you would the final draft of a college assignment. Glaring grammatical errors or incorrect data presentation can really detract from the strength of your content, so be sure that your content generation process includes an editing step. Bonus tip: When generating content, particularly when it relates to veterinary medicine, make sure that what you’re saying is client-friendly. More specifically, make sure that what you’re saying isn’t too bogged down in technical jargon or only accessible to other medical professionals. Your focus is on engaging clients in some form or another, so always double check that your tone and content are customer-centric.

SEO. SEO. SEO!

Search engine optimization. This is an imperative aspect to content marketing and entails a variety of aspects involved in optimizing not only the performance of your content but your website, as well. SEO entails things like optimizing your site/content through a responsive design (which can incorporate clean coding, faster load times, etc.), complying with existing web standards, strong backlinks and inbound links through promotion, meta information, as well as mobile search compatability. This last aspect – mobile search – could be argued to be the most important, if for no other reason than the ever-growing prominence of mobile usage by consumers. Search engine optimization also entails integrating your content and website with your existing social media presence. Don’t be afraid of cross-promoting your site and content across different platforms, and always including links and streams from one to the other.
The keys listed above are certainly not the end-all be-all when it comes to content marketing, but they do highlight a few of the major points and pit-stops along the way to successful content generation and marketing. If you’re ever in doubt about the success of your content marketing strategy or just want to stay on top of your marketing efforts, utilizing tools like Google Analytics or the analytics tools on Facebook and Instagram are great options. They can provide a wealth of data on your website or social media platforms, and even track the performance of individual pieces of content. They are meant to be user-friendly, so do not be intimidated by what may seem like a bunch of analytical IT jargon. Such analytical tools ultimately give you greater control and understanding of your marketing strategy, and can even help you better understand what potential and existing clients are engaging with. If you would like to go more in-depth, I have posted some links below to sites and articles that delve into topics like content generation and marketing, as well as SEO. These links are not endorsements of specific companies or entities. Rather, they are simply meant to encourage further learning and understanding.

Content Marketing:
http://www.vmdtoday.com/journals/vmd/2017/august2017/the-five-pillars-of-content-marketing
SEO:
https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Top 5 SEO Tips for Veterinary Practices

by easyDVM

According to a 2017 survey, eight out of 10 people have used search engines to find a local service or product within the last week. As a veterinary practice owner, you need to ensure your business is highly visible in search engine results pages if you want customers to find out about the service you offer. Here are five SEO tips that can help your veterinary practice stand out online.

1. Choose Your Keywords Carefully

Use a keyword research tool, such as Google Keyword Planner, to find out which keywords people use when searching for veterinarians online. Consider local keywords, such as “veterinarian in [your city],” as well as service-specific keywords such as “spay and neuter.” Long-tail keywords, such as “cat spaying in [your city],” contain several words. Although they have a smaller search volume than general single-word keywords, such as “vet,” long-tail keywords usually have less competition and can attract customers who are looking for the specific services you offer. Be sure to include long-tail keywords in your SEO strategy.

2. Publish Fresh Content Regularly

Adding a blog to your website can strongly boost your search rankings. Search engines love fresh, original content. Once you have chosen your target keywords, create content around those keywords and publish it on a regular schedule. For example, you could add one post per week to your blog.

3. Provide Value to Readers

Your content must provide value for your readers. Use services like Quora to find out what questions people are asking online, and then use your veterinary expertise to create posts that answer these kinds of questions. You can also source blog topics from the questions clients ask in your veterinary practice. For example, if clients regularly express concern about putting their pet under anesthesia for surgery or dental cleanings, you could write a blog post about the anesthetic options for pets and how vets minimize the risks.

4. Add Your Veterinary Practice to Directories

Adding your business to online directories makes it more visible online, as well as providing backlinks to your website that can improve your search rank. Add your veterinary practice to Google Maps, Yelp and any local directories that serve your city or region. Be sure to keep these listings up to date with accurate opening hours and contact details. Encourage your customers to review your business on these directory sites to improve its visibility and reputation.

5. Use Social Media

Using social media can strengthen your relationships with customers. Having a strong social media presence may also bring SEO benefits, as people who interact with your practice on social media may post links to your website from their own sites and blogs. The more links you have pointing to your website, the higher your search rank is likely to be. Set up profile pages for your veterinary practice on Facebook, Twitter and any other social media networks popular with your customers. First, fill out your profile pages with accurate information. Next, begin sharing interesting and engaging content, such as links to your blog posts, pictures of your veterinary team, and questions that encourage people to talk about their pets.

Keep It Up!

Search engine optimization isn’t a “set and forget” process. To stay at the top of the search engine results pages, you need to keep using these tips. By continually working on your SEO strategy, you can make it easy for customers to find you online.

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Veterinary Wellness Plans in Veterinary Practice – Pros and Cons

by easyDVM

Woman out running along a grassy track with her two dogs. Rear view if get legs with both dogs in view. Early morning light creates shadows at atmosphere. Shot on iPhone 6If you are in the field of veterinary medicine, you have heard about wellness plans.  You may be asking yourself if these plans would be profitable for your practice. Here are some pros and cons that wellness plans can bring to your business.

Pro: Increased Vet Visits

Clients have been known to increase the amount of times they bring their pets to the vet by two to three times when they have wellness plans. When a client can pay for services at a discounted price monthly, or even annually, they will be inclined to utilize these services more often. This leads to better care for pets, improved bond between the veterinary team and the client, and increased revenue for your practice.

Pro: Wellness Plans Tailored Towards Specific Practice Needs

Do you need to draw more revenue towards a specific service, such as dental cleanings or spay/neuter surgery? Create a wellness plan that includes items associated with only these services.  This can drive clients to providing yearly bloodwork and dental cleanings for their pets, or even spay/neuter services with a new puppy/kitten vaccine package. Ultimately, again, this improves pet care and the bond with your clients, as well as increased revenue.

Con: Wellness Plans Can Be a Sensitive Matter

There are many things that can make wellness plans fall apart. As a veterinarian, you must pay close attention to what is best for your clients and their pets. Communication between yourself, your team, and your clients is essential to the success of wellness plans.  Clients need to understand which wellness plan is best for their pet at various times throughout their care.  Therefore, you cannot implement a successful wellness plan without thorough research to provide appropriate options and excellent communication to your clients, as well as your team.  Everyone must be on board to make it work.

Con: As With Everything, Things Can Take a Terrible Turn

It happens.  Clients cannot pay their wellness plan fees.  A pet dies with months of unused services.  As part of implementing wellness plans, veterinarians have to at least attempt to prepare themselves for the inevitable. Know what you are going to do; maybe your practice will offer a refund of services not used or have a clause that protects the plan, and your practice, if a client defaults on payments. If you have covered your bases beforehand, and communicate this with your team and clients, it will not be as difficult to deal with, should the time come.

Summary

This information merely grazes the surface of wellness plans in private practice.  In conclusion, the most important thing is to do your research as a veterinarian and include your team and clients in the implementation of your pricing strategy.  Find out what is best for your clients and roll with it. Wellness plans may not be the answer for you and your practice, but they are worth a shot.

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Diamond in the Rough: Making Your Veterinary Practice Stand Out

by easyDVM

Veterinary practices today operate in a highly competitive market. To attract new clients to your practice and retain existing ones, you not only have to provide a good service, but also convince clients that your practice offers greater value than all the others in your local area. If you are struggling to get enough business while other practices in town hog the limelight, use these tips to polish your practice’s marketing until it shines like a diamond.

Upgrade Your Website

When pet owners look for a local veterinary practice, they often turn to search engines to find out what their options are. If your website sits low in the rankings for key search terms, such as “vet [your local area],” people may not know your business exists at all. In this case, adding keyword-rich content to your site in the form of a blog could help to raise your site’s search ranking.

What if your website ranks highly, but still fails to bring in much business? In that case, you need to consider whether the content on your site is doing its job correctly. Does your website clearly state your location, opening hours and the services you offer? Most importantly, does it provide easy ways for clients to get in touch, such as a contact form, phone number and email address? Making communication as easy as possible could help to ensure your business is the practice of choice for pet owners who are new to the area.

Network Online and Offline

Building connections with the local pet-owning community can help you attract and keep customers. You can stay in touch with clients by inviting them to connect with your practice on social media, where you can share tips on pet care, pictures of your team and updates on the latest services your practice offers. However, even in today’s digital age, it is important not to underestimate the importance of real-world interactions. Increase your community presence by attending community events or giving talks about pet care and veterinary careers at local schools.

Partner With Local Businesses

Local businesses that cater to pet owners, such as pet stores, professional dog walkers and grooming services, can put you in touch with new clients. Research the pet-related businesses in your local area and approach the most popular ones with an offer to partner up. For example, your practice could hand out discount vouchers for a local pet store, encouraging your customers to buy their pet food and accessories from that business. In exchange, the store may allow you to place advertising materials for your practice in their store. Building relationships with businesses that pet owners already rely on is a great way to boost your brand’s reputation and attract new clients to your practice.

Deliver Outstanding Service

All the marketing tricks in the world won’t help you build a loyal client base if you can’t deliver a good service. Be sure to schedule plenty of time for appointments, so your veterinarians can take the time to make pets comfortable and build a rapport with owners. Use veterinary software programs to eliminate billing errors and other admin-related issues. Finally, always ask clients for feedback, as this can help you to identify problems with your service and address them to ensure your practice is truly outstanding.

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

4 Ways to Successfully Promote Your Veterinary Practice

by easyDVM

When promoting your veterinary practice, you’ll want to set some predetermined goals. More importantly, you’ll want to be able to measure your results.

Whether you’d like to increase the number of clients coming through the door or build a positive reputation in your community, there are plenty of cost-effective promotional tactics.

4 Ways to Successfully Promote Your Practice

To stand out from your competitors, show your clients that you are a credible and valued practice. When you market your veterinary practice effectively, you can keep your current clients happy and attract new business.

In order to do so, here are some top tips to reach your marketing goals.

1. A locally targeted blog

When it comes to the online world, content is king. If you already have a following, blog posts will provide your audience with information about your practice. Also, when you provide informative, useful content, you will develop a relationship with new potential customers.

While writing content, be mindful of SEO. Since you will want to reach those within your community, focus on a local perspective. As your local audience connects with your posts, they’ll be more likely to share — expanding your reach to more local residents. These posts will then bring more traffic to your site and, in turn, increase local awareness.

Top tip: Research local keywords using Buzzsumo and mention upcoming events in the area.

2. Social media

When it comes to your audience, it’s easier to get your preexisting clients to come in more often than to get new clients to come in. In that sense, focus on those who currently follow you on your social media outlets. Use these platforms as tools, consistently posting fresh, engaging content.

Top tip: Run a contest on your Instagram, Facebook or Twitter page, asking your clients to post a photo of their pet and tag your practice. You can either draw for winners using a random winner generator, such as RandomPicker, or create your own contest rules. (Keep in mind that some social media sites have contest guidelines, so be aware of the legal requirements before posting.)

3. Email marketing

When your clients first register at your practice, offer an option to receive updates and news regarding anything from pet health to exciting promotions. Collecting your clients’ email addresses is a golden opportunity to send information and reminders once or twice a month. This will help you build a rapport with your clients.

Top tip: Provide value in your emails, focusing on topics such as pet health. At the bottom of the email, send a reminder about their next wellness visit. With the permission, you can even send out another client’s success story. To simplify this process, an automatic email reminder will ensure consistency.

4. Reputation management

Last, but certainly not least, you need to make reputation management a top priority. What people say about your veterinary practice will influence the decisions of those in your community. Be aware of which websites you’re featured on, and develop a five-star rating.

Since your customers are bringing in their pets, they’ll want to be confident in their decision. Having a great reputation will encourage new business.

Top tip: Politely ask your regular clients to leave an honest review online, based on their experiences. If you have built up an email list, send a direct link to simplify the review process.

Introducing EasyDVM

Although you will want to be hands on in terms of client interactions, you do not have time to organize every minor task and detail. This is why easyDVM, a software that offers a wide range of practice management features, was created.

Whether you opt to run a client loyalty rewards program or would benefit from an automatic email reminder delivery system, this all-in-one software is the solution.

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Sources

https://www.shortstack.com/is-your-facebook-contest-legal-infographic/

http://buzzsumo.com/

http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/7-low-or-no-cost-marketing-strategies-for-your-vet-practice/

10 Best Marketing Tips for Veterinarian Practices

by easyDVM

Word-of-mouth once created extreme demand for exceptional veterinarians. Today, amplifying your message and building a strong local presence are needed to increase foot (and paw) traffic to your practice.

Here are 10 tips to keep your lobby full:

1. Make Sure Your Practice Is Top-Notch

Lots of competition exists. Not only are there more vets than ever, but there are also pet vaccine clinics and large pet retailers. Review your location, your hours, your pricing, administration and your pet care. Lacking in any area? Fix it before expanding promotions. If scheduling or recordkeeping are issues, veterinary software will make you more efficient. The convenience of practice hours can be troublesome, so consider adding one late night per week.

2. Formulate a Goal and Strategy

What do you want to accomplish? How can you get there? Consider how you do things now and what works well. Promotions that target current clients are successful and cost-effective since these people already know and like you. Supercharge your use of client mailers and your newsletter. (You do have one, right?)

3. Encourage Word-of-Mouth

Today’s loving and savvy pet owners research well before trusting someone with their furry friends. They’ll ask friends for recommendations and read online reviews before calling for an appointment. Be sure to ask current clients to leave reviews on your website, Google or social media accounts. Offer them a discount for referring friends or family. Surprise good customers with a gift card for a local pet store. You can bet they’ll tell their friends.

4. What’s in It for Them?

Focus marketing on the benefits to your clients and their four-legged friends. Tell them about your friendly team, your newly extended hours, cage-free boarding or affordable rates. Why should they do business with you?

5. Keep Your Message Simple

Figure out your message and stick to it. Keep it simple, easy to remember and effective. Something along the lines of “Jones Animal Hospital: We love your pets like you do!”

6. Use Calls to Action

Your marketing should include a call to action. Even if you are voted Best Vet in Miami, a vet offering a promo discount for new clients will likely attract more of them. Use your status, but give them a reason to call for an appointment right now: “We were voted Best Vet in Miami, and we’ll give you $25 to found out why this week.”

7. Build Social Media Pages With Unique Content

Sponsor photo contests for “best smile,” “laziest pooch,” “most curious cat” or “playful pups,” and watch your fan base grow rapidly. Post links to blog posts offering tips about keeping pets safe on the Fourth of July, or how to keep them parasite free. Offer incentives to current clients who enter their pets in the contest, in addition to a gift for the winners. Promote services sparingly, but give them lots of information, great pictures and stories about your pet clients or your team.

Animal rescue groups are always in need of pet food and other supplies. Donate these yourself, or set up a donation area at your office. You might also consider volunteering to treat injured or ill animals that are rescued. Animal lovers know which vets in town are kindred spirits!

9. Special Events and Collaborations

Hosting workshops about caring for a new puppy or leash training a dog will draw lots of pet lovers. How about a picnic or holiday celebration to thank your clients, or an open house to show off your new facility? Collaborate with related businesses and do cross-promotions.

10. In-Practice Marketing

Promote your services on your lobby walls and treatment rooms, or pin flyers to a bulletin board in your waiting area. Let people know how you are different from other vets in town.

Use these tips to brainstorm ideas for your practice, and contact us for veterinary software programs to streamline administration and boost profits.

Sources:

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

How to Get More Clients at Your Veterinary Practice

by easyDVM

The sustainability of a veterinarian business is critical, particularly where there is competition. One of the key elements of a sustainable business plan is attracting and retaining clients. Here’s how to
attract those new clients and keep them so you have the edge over competitors.

 

Word of Mouth Works

One of the best ways of getting new clients is through the quality of the work you do, which can help you get recommended by existing customers. If your clients are happy with the care you give to their pets, they will recommend you to others. As a business, you can build on that feedback by setting up a reward scheme. When an existing client recommends a new one and they use the service, give them a discount on vaccinations or treatments. Another good loyalty scheme is to offer discounts to senior citizens, many of whom have pets as companions.

Use the Web

The internet is a gold mine for advertising and attracting customers. Make sure your website is up to date and the contact details are correct. By having web pages or a blog with search engine-optimized content, you can attract new clients searching for veterinarian care online. Don’t forget to use social media to attract new customers, too. A Facebook or Twitter account is an excellent way of raising the profile of your business, highlighting issues such as vaccination requirements, seasonal hazards for animals and more.

Give a Prize and Network

Getting involved in a local fundraiser by donating a prize or offering to judge a pet show is another way of publicizing your business and attracting clients. It helps raise the profile of the veterinary clinic and gets your name known on a wider field. Community events are also great for networking and sharing ideas, which may also help grow your business.

Using Veterinary Software Programs

Having a reliable veterinary software system in place is vital. This enables a clinic to track clients, send reminders and collect data on trends. It will produce information essential to the smooth running of your business and enable you to identify areas for development. Investing in veterinary software like easyDVM veterinary software also helps you keep accurate records and provide an efficient service that attracts clients. Software with up-to-date information can help you personalize your service, which can help make clients feel remembered and looked after.

Find the New Residents

Most towns have construction developments these days and there are always new people moving in and out of an area. You can use these opportunities to partner with a real-estate company to offer a discount to new residents, several of whom are likely to have pets and will be looking for a new veterinarian. Check out any pet-friendly hotels in your area and give contact details should a guest need assistance with a sick animal.

Use Print Advertising

Check out your area for local newspapers, particularly those that are free. Make sure you have a regular advertisement, as these attract customers. You can also offer a pet-focused column to the editor containing useful tips for animal owners. This can bring in new clients to your business and help raise the clinic’s profile.

There are many ways of attracting new clients in a veterinary business. By implementing a few tried-and-tested schemes, you’ll see your business grow.

 

EasyDVM Practice Software is a cloud-based veterinary practice management software system. We pride ourselves in offering a system that is user-friendly, easy to learn for new team members, full-featured and elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, all devices, multiple users, all your clients and patients, always affordable.

Why Rechecks Are Key Ingredient to Optimal Pet Care

by Sam D Meisler DVM

A recheck examination is as important, if not more so, as the initial exam. Rechecks ensure pets are receiving high quality veterinary care which should always be our primary goal. Why then is compliance among pet owners and staff alike so challenging to procure?

Does your practice management software track recheck exam appointments?
Does your practice management software track recheck exam appointments?

The reasons are many. Pet owners may view a recheck as difficult or inconvenient. Perhaps they see them as excessive or unnecessary. Staff members may have a natural resistance to scheduling rechecks because they fear it will upset the pet owner. Therefore, the biggest obstacle in scheduling rechecks may simply be educating both clients and staff on reasons why recheck appointments are vital to the health of the pet.

The primary reason for a recheck or follow-up visit is to give the veterinarian the opportunity to assess whether the pet’s condition has improved. For the health of the pet, it is necessary to determine whether progress has been made. The pet owner may be at a disadvantage when it comes to making an assessment regarding whether their pet is improving. It can be quite difficult, and in some instances impossible, for the pet owner to determine if a surgical incision is healing properly, whether parasites are gone, or whether blood levels are improving. The veterinarian and staff are best able to property evaluate whether progress is being made.

A second reason to schedule a recheck exam is to properly evaluate an acute problem, such as vomiting or a skin condition, to assess if the condition is resolved. If the condition has not resolved, it is important for the veterinarian to have the opportunity to develop a plan for long term care. Pet owners can become overwhelmed when they are given too much information in a single visit. Instructing and educating clients on acute problems and long term care takes time. A recheck examination not only gives the veterinarian invaluable information on the state of the pet’s condition, it provides an opportunity to further instruct the pet owner on the proper way to care for their pet going forward.

Rechecks also provide an opportunity to double check a patient’s progress. Double checking to ensure the client fully understood the instructions for administering medication, or to determine whether they are successful in getting their pet to cooperate with the prescribed treatment, helps the veterinarian measure the progress the pet is making. Not understanding directions or instructions are common roadblocks in administering proper care. Having the opportunity to assess whether the client is in compliance with the veterinarian’s instructions can only be achieved through a recheck examination. Making a proper assessment over the phone or through a voice mail message is next to impossible. A follow up examination with the pet owner and patient is the only way to accurately determine whether there is compliance with the prescribed care as well as improvement in the patient’s condition.

Better pet care begins with the relationship among the veterinarian, pet owner, and patient. When a pet owner brings their pet in for a follow up appointment within a short period of time, continuity of care is established. When the same veterinarian sees the pet to reevaluate the pet’s progress, this reinforces the veterinarian-pet owner relationship which ultimately results in better care. Continuity of care not only builds trust, it helps pet owners feel more comfortable knowing their pets are receiving great care. Pet owners are reassured they are doing their part to keep their pet healthy. When a relationship of mutual trust between the veterinarian and pet owner exists, the pet benefits tremendously. A solid relationship between the veterinarian and pet owner makes it possible for the pet owner to better understand their pet’s condition and care plan. The pet owner gains peace of mind through understanding how to care for their pet at home, being instructed on what to watch for, and when they should call their veterinarian for further help or reassurance. When a solid relationship exists between the veterinarian, pet owner, and pet the foundation for better pet care is fully established.

Follow up care also gives the pet owner additional opportunities to ask the veterinarian about other concerns they may have regarding their pet’s health. This not only gives the pet owner peace of mind, it ensures their pet is receiving optimal care. If the pet has an ear problem or a skin condition, the sooner the veterinarian is made aware of the concern the better for the pet. Having the opportunity to assess ongoing issues means potential problems are identified and treatment prescribed in a timely manner which ensures the pet is receiving the best possible care. This should always be our number one priority and rechecks will ensure this goal is attained.

Does your practice management software track recheck appointments and exams?

References:

1) Clinicians Brief

2) VetStreet