When disaster strikes, the impact can be big. The recent hurricanes in Florida and the Southeast remind us of the critical importance of emergency preparedness for veterinary practices. Disasters can disrupt business and strain our teams and clients, and being prepared can help us navigate these situations with reduced stress and minimal downtime. Here are some vital steps your practice can take to be better prepared, based on real-life scenarios and proven best practices.
1. Complete Your Client Data
Imagine facing an emergency and realizing you need to contact clients urgently. Now imagine discovering that crucial contact information is missing or outdated. This situation is more common than you might think, and it can be avoided with a little proactive planning.
Here are some tips to keep contact information complete and up-to-date:
- Run routine reports to identify missing data. Many practice management platforms like NaVetor offer built-in or customizable reports that highlight incomplete client information. Setting up a monthly review process can ensure you are on top of any “holes” and can gather that data before an emergency happens.
- Confirm and update client contact information at every visit. Make it a habit to confirm phone numbers, emails, and physical addresses when clients come in.
- Place mobile numbers in designated fields. By properly using mobile number fields (instead of landline fields), practices can send automated text alerts to clients if needed during an emergency.
2. Register Those Microchips
Imagine a pet owner frantically searching for their lost pet after a natural disaster, only to realize that the microchip wasn’t registered. It’s a heartbreaking situation that practices can prevent with effective microchip management.
If your software integrates with microchip databases like PetLink and HomeAgain (like NaVetor does), your team can automatically register microchip data as soon as it’s entered. This saves time for both the practice and the pet owner and prevents the anxiety and frustration of a microchip without accessible data.
A seamless software integration helps ensure:
- All microchipped pets are registered in a national database. Registration occurs without additional steps for your staff, improving the chances of a fast, safe reunion.
- Client trust and peace of mind. When clients know their pet’s microchip information is up-to-date and accessible, it’s one less thing they need to worry in the face of a crisis.
3. Set Up Home Delivery
In an emergency, inventory management becomes crucial. Practices might not have the capacity or time to stock up on medications if supply chains are disrupted.
NaVetor’s recent integration with Vetsource Home Delivery allows veterinary practices to streamline the process of filling prescriptions directly through an online pharmacy. Here’s how this integration can help in an emergency:
- Reduce on-site inventory. With online ordering and home delivery for your clients, your practice doesn’t need to keep extensive stock on hand, freeing up space and reducing stress during inventory shortages or potential damage to your facility.
- Ensure continued patient care. When your practice is prepared with an online pharmacy, clients have access to necessary medications even if you have to temporarily close your doors to recover from a natural disaster.
4. Provide Easy Access to Pet Health Records
Imagine a client needing to quickly evacuate and gather important health records for their pet. The last thing they need is the added stress of locating vaccination documents. With a mobile app for your clients (like NaVetor’s Tail HQ app), pet owners can access these records instantly, making emergency boarding or temporary living situations a little more manageable.
A client mobile app like Tail HQ is beneficial because:
- It provides instant access to vaccination and health records. Clients can view or download these records quickly, whether they need them for evacuation, boarding, or travel.
- It reduces the practice’s burden in emergencies. When clients can access records themselves, your team can focus on immediate patient care and emergency storm preparation rather than retrieving documentation
5. Protect Your Data in Cyberspace
In the rush of emergency preparation, data security can sometimes be overlooked. But a disaster can compromise not only physical property but also digital records. With October marking Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it’s a timely reminder for practices to evaluate their cybersecurity protocols.
Most cloud software platforms including NaVetor automatically back up and store your data securely. NaVetor uses Microsoft Azure, one of the most secure cloud services in the world, used by industries that demand the highest standards of security like banking and government. But it’s also essential to consider other data and systems that might need safeguarding:
- Evaluate what other data you’re storing. Practices may have PACS data, patient documents, and even financial records on in-house servers that might not be as securely backed up as patient records.
- Consider additional backup solutions. Services like PattLock by Patterson provide extra cloud-based protection for all files, ensuring that data is protected and retrievable, even in cases of theft, fire, or flood.
Emergencies are challenging, but they don’t have to overwhelm your team or disrupt your practice if you have processes in place. By ensuring complete client data, registering microchips, integrating an online pharmacy, giving clients access to Tail HQ, and securing your data, you’re proactively safeguarding both your patients and your practice.