To better gauge the industry-wide impact of technology, vets were asked a series of questions on the topic like, “Do you feel technology is helping you practice better medicine and be more efficient and if so, what technologies are most valuable to you?” More than 94% of veterinarians said that technology does play a key factor in practicing higher quality medicine and remaining more productive.
94% of veterinarians feel technology helps them practice better medicine and be more efficient.
In terms of what technologies are most valuable to vets at the practice, digital reference materials like digital textbooks and social media groups (73%) PMS (61%) and digital radiology support (55%) led the pack.
The survey also asked vets what challenge or aspect of the practice they think would benefit most from a new technology offering. The most common responses were centred around client communication, client education, help with record keeping, and user-friendly PMS.
How can technology help with staffing and recruiting challenges?
The compounded challenge of low staffing and increased demand for patient care has practices struggling to fill much needed roles. To help get a pulse on retention and hiring, respondents were asked: “What factors are most important to you when choosing a practice to work in?” Forty-seven percent said that it is something they consider when they’re choosing a job. When asked if technology impacted job satisfaction, over 75% of respondents shared that they feel new technologies and clinical tools are moderately to extremely important to their job satisfaction. Other factors veterinarians consider when choosing where to work, includes quality of medicine at number one (91%) and salary and benefit number two at (77%).
What technologies are clinics investing in?
The study found that over the next year, 63% of practices are planning to invest in staff, followed by equipment, marketing, and practice management systems. “We know investing in technology is part of investing in staff and making sure you have the tools your team needs to succeed and have job satisfaction is important. We also know it is important to make sure the technology implemented works and that users feel comfortable with it, and that they use it. Dr. Murray says “when asked what would help veterinarians readily adopt new technology and digital tools, respondents say they want to be properly trained—whether in person, in a group, on-demand, or one on-one.
Staff is the #1 investment for practices in the next year
Bring in staff and beat burnout with technology.
Veterinary professionals are struggling––burnout is rampant, staff turnover has reached epic proportions and vet staff are just all around overworked and under-satisfied. Everyone is looking for a solution and we have clear evidence how technology can open the door leading to a way out. With that said, if you want to retain your staff and keep burn out at bay, here are some points to consider:
Investing in technology is a smart choice to help reduce burnout, improve efficiency, and keep clients and staff happy while improving patient health.
Remember that technology can help you recruit and retain talent. If you’re not highlighting your technology resources in your practice, start now. If you don’t have anything to highlight in your practice around technology, figure out what makes sense for your practice and start changing things up.
Make sure to train staff properly on existing or new technologies. Staff want and need formal training to ensure everyone is comfortable with new or existing technology and will be more likely to adopt and use it.
Help your team streamline their pain points. Provide tools for client education and client communication that offers a better experience for pet owners, and for your veterinary teams.
