As busy veterinarians, you likely spend much of your time concerned with the wellbeing and health of your patients. And, of course, you should do exactly that. But how often are you thinking about the health of your practice? Are you giving it the time and attention it needs? After all, having a healthy practice is key to being able to provide the best, most efficient, affordable care for your patients and those whom they refer. 

Technology can be a big help in measuring and monitoring practice growth, efficiency, and profitability, which all contribute to a healthy practice. If you’d like to measure your practice health score, our Practice Health Checkup will rank your effectiveness in five key areas of practice health. 

Healthy practices tend to have the following in common: 

• Use of Cloud Software. Healthy practices understand that their practice management software is key to keeping information organized and the practice moving. They also value cloud-based software in the health of their practice for many reasons, including:
  • Ease and flexibility to work wherever, whenever. 
  • Applicable updates that occur seamlessly and continuously in the background. 
  • Better security, since practice data is stored offsite in a highly protected environment.

• Effective Client Communication. The way healthy practices communicate with clients, whether via email, text, mobile app, or automated direct mail reminders, is crucial to a practice’s health. Healthy practices take advantage of their software’s automated reminders to free up staff time and decrease no-shows. This is especially effective when they communicate with clients based on their preferred communication method (email, text, call), which was previously captured and stored in their software.

• Strong Online Marketing. Healthy veterinary practices also understand the value of being found online. In addition to a strong website, they:
  • Use social media as a cost-effective way to keep their name in front of clients (and potential clients) and set them apart from their competitors with better brand recognition. 
  • Understand that pet owners turn to online reviews to select those who will care for their beloved animal. With the right software integration, they can send unlimited surveys tailored to each specific type of client, post reviews on their website, and encourage clients to post positive reviews on public review sites such as Google and Yelp.

• Updated X-Ray Procedures. Many veterinary practices have moved to digital X-rays and AI-assisted validation to help ensure that they can quickly assess and diagnose medical conditions, enabling prompt treatment. Additionally, efficiency in X-ray procedures contributes to better workflow within the practice, reducing wait times for both veterinary staff and pet owners. Healthy practices also fully realize the additional benefits that stem from an efficient X-ray process, such as better record keeping and data management plus overall increased effectiveness, productivity, and quality of veterinary services.

• OSHA Compliance. Healthy practices do not allow themselves to get behind in compliance matters. They understand that OSHA compliance is vital to ensure a safe and secure workplace, protecting their staff from occupational hazards, including exposure to chemicals and diseases. They will:
  • Develop and maintain policies ensuring the proper handling of hazardous materials, injury prevention measures, and recordkeeping for workplace incidents. 
  • Use technology to manage an online SDS library, which can be accessed from any computer station in the practice
  • Have the ability to create compliant labels and quickly generate a hazardous chemical list

Curious about the health of your own practice? Fill out the Practice Health Checkup to see how you rank!