Equine & Livestock

4 Covetrus | ph: 855.724.3461 | fx: 888.329.3861 | northamerica.covetrus.com Overview of veterinary telemedicine: • Veterinarians, especially equine vets, have been doing telemedicine for years because clients send us images and videos of their animals and ask questions. • Telemedicine is basically sharing information via phones or the internet about our patients with our clients. • Telemedicine also can be peer-to-peer or to get a second opinion. If we send X-rays to a radiologist, for example, that is part of telemedicine. • Your staff is critical because they have to explain what a telemedicine appointment will be to the client, and they need to include the images that are exchanged in the patient's records. Use telemedicine for: • Progress exams, i.e., following up on a lameness or to look at a sutured wound. • To determine if a veterinarian needs to see the animal either in the clinic or as a farm call. Keep in mind some places are shut down and don't allow vet visits except for emergencies. • If an associate is on a farm call and needs some support on a case. That way the client gets the "whole team approach" for that patient. Don't use telemedicine for: • Telemedicine for diagnostics is difficult because we often need to be hands- on with the animal…a palpation or auscultation. There also might be areas of concern that the client doesn't notice on the animal. Technology needed for telemedicine: • A smart phone with a camera can be an inexpensive and relatively easy way to share images and videos for telemedicine appointments. You also can use your computer at the office or home. • Zoom.us is a streaming platform that is great for collaboration, as is GoToMeeting and Webex, because you can record the information and add it to your medical record. • You also need some good internet speed and perhaps an unlimited cell service. Telemedicine tips from Covetrus Worried about trying to adapt to new technology to handle client requests or patient needs remotely? Telemedicine is available, and it isn't as hard as you imagine. These tips are provided by Mike Pownall, DVM, MBA, a Canadian-based veterinarian and a partner in Oculus Insights. Importance of telemedicine records: • Veterinarians need to have great medical records in the event that someone has to pick up the case after you. • Also, if there are legal proceedings on a case, you don't want to have to say to a judge, "I'm sorry, your honor, I don't have that in my notes." • Videos and images are important parts of the medical records of your patients, just like if someone sends us X-rays for a pre- purchase. • It also helps us if we want to sequentially want to go back through a case. • I recommend that you have a technician, receptionist or another staff member who is responsible for taking the content and attaching it to the patient record. Charging for telemedicine: • Veterinarians sell knowledge in units of time. Telemedicine is the same way. • You are selling your knowledge, your experience and your education; that is what clients are purchasing. • Up until now many veterinarians have not been charging clients for looking at videos or photos. • We have to value our knowledge and demonstrate that value to our clients. – Determine what you want to earn per hour (i.e., $300/hour) and break that down into 15-minute increments (or even minute increments). • Therefore a 15-minute telemedicine appointment would be billed at $75. • Do a summary as you would for any appointment: We talked about this. My recommendations are that. If it doesn't get better the client will check in next week. 855.724.3461 | northamerica.covetrus.com © 2020 Covetrus. All Rights Reserved. No copying without permission. Not responsible for typographical errors. Lit. No. 20EQLS130 (04/2020) What don't you charge for in telemedicine? • "I always have in the back of my mind that I'm going to be looking at this horse again very quickly—I'm going to have to spend five or 10 minutes on that—so I make sure I capture that value in the first billing for examining and treating the animal." • Veterinarians might not want to charge for: – Quick progress exam (as stated above). – If you charge for every 15-30 seconds of your time, I think that would leave a sour taste in your clients' mouths. – You charge when it is a substantive look at an animal. – If you are looking at that animal for more than 2-3 minutes, then we have to start charging. Will telemedicine remain part of a vet practice's income even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over? • People still want a relationship with their veterinarians. I don't foresee a situation where you never see a patient. • Telemedicine will be an adjunctive part of our toolkit. • There is still a need for us to go out on the farm (or have clients come into a clinic) and put our hands on the patient, use palpation, use an ophthalmoscope, use a stethoscope…I think telemedicine will be a small part of our practice after the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about telemedicine in veterinary practice, listen to the EquiManagement Daily Vet Life podcast episodes 1-5, presented by Covetrus and published five days a week at soundcloud.com/dailyvetlife Covetrus provides several telemedicine solutions including, Rapport ™ , TeleVet, and Petriage among others. Visit softwareservices.covetrus.com or speak with your Covetrus representative to learn more.

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