{"id":59238,"date":"2022-06-28T10:53:29","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T10:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/?p=59238"},"modified":"2022-09-14T13:48:36","modified_gmt":"2022-09-14T13:48:36","slug":"challenges-of-telemedicine-veterinary-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/challenges-of-telemedicine-veterinary-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Challenges of Telemedicine in the Veterinary Sector"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Telemedicine has been a hot topic for a while now, especially since the start of the pandemic when lockdowns forced <a href=\"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/vet-tech-how-digital-transformation-is-impacting-modern-veterinary-clinics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">veterinary practices<\/a> all over the world to reassess how they were going to continue offering healthcare to their patients with all the restrictions that were in force.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a number of benefits to offering telemedicine in your practice, such as <\/span><b>remote access to veterinary care, more accurate triaging of emergency cases, and surgical advancements<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that improve the quality of life of patients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, with advancements being so reliant on technology, there are also a number of challenges of telemedicine that practices and surgeries need to overcome in order to offer clients and their pets the best possible service.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In today\u2019s post we are going to break down the biggest challenges of telemedicine to help you seamlessly transition from your current business model into the veterinary practice model of the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-a3367545-269b-40d7-a26f-95377e6e650a\" class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\"><span id=\"hs-cta-a3367545-269b-40d7-a26f-95377e6e650a\" class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-a3367545-269b-40d7-a26f-95377e6e650a\"><!-- [if lte IE 8]>\n\n\n<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\n\n<![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/6092775\/a3367545-269b-40d7-a26f-95377e6e650a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"hs-cta-img-a3367545-269b-40d7-a26f-95377e6e650a\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/6092775\/a3367545-269b-40d7-a26f-95377e6e650a.png\" alt=\"Want to know the 12 trends that will revolutionise the veterinary sector in the medium and long term?Click here and discover how to optimize your practice for 2022.\" \/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(6092775, 'a3367545-269b-40d7-a26f-95377e6e650a', {\"useNewLoader\":\"true\",\"region\":\"na1\"}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>What Is Telemedicine?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put simply, telemedicine is the ability to <\/span><b>offer veterinary care remotely<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This includes remote consultations through video consultation websites, phone calls, emails, and chat apps. By conducting consultations remotely through various technological platforms, veterinarians are able to provide a diagnosis. It can also be used to recommend a specific treatment, and provide a prescription without a need for clients to bring their pets into a veterinary practice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although this technology has been around for a while now, its use has accelerated rapidly as a result of the recent pandemic when clients were unable to bring their pets into clinics due to lockdown restrictions. Although restrictions have now been lifted, many practices are seeing the benefits of continuing with telemedicine for certain consultations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, by offering telemedicine solutions to clients, you can<\/span><b> reduce the number of patients in your waiting rooms and manage your consultations more efficiently<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This offers a solution to scheduling issues and enables you to provide quality care to a higher number of patients. Telemedicine is also especially useful when it comes to post-operative care. Or managing pets with chronic, recurring issues, when a physical in-person examination is not strictly necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, although there are a great number of benefits, there are also a number of challenges of telemedicine in the veterinary sector.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Let\u2019s take a look at the top 5 obstacles that you need to be aware of.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Not as Thorough as Hands-on Consults<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One challenge of telemedicine that is often cited by veterinarians is that <\/span><b>it\u2019s impossible to offer the same quality of care remotely as with a hands-on consultation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at your clinic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can you examine an animal without having actual physical access to it?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whilst it\u2019s true that certain appointments will always require a physical visit. Such as emergency examinations when an animal is acutely sick or has had an accident, other appointments can easily be managed just as well remotely. Examples include appointments for animals suffering from chronic conditions. For example, seasonal allergies, standard postoperative checks, and appointments for simple procedures such as administering flea and worm treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The key is <\/span><b>implementing a triaging system<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which enables you to determine which animals actually need to come into the clinic, and which can be offered a remote telemedicine appointment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>New Technology Can Be Daunting<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another common challenge of telemedicine is that new and emerging technology can often be daunting. This goes for any major change to your veterinary practice\u2019s processes and procedures.<\/span><b> You need to invest time, energy, and resources<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before you can begin to see the benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, as overwhelming as change might be,<\/span><b> the advantages of implementing telemedicine services in your veterinary practice far outweigh the short-term efforts required to implement them<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Plus, with millennials and Gen Z now being the predominant pet-owning demographic, the demand for technological solutions is only going to get greater. Better to get ahead of the game now and start benefitting from everything that telemedicine has to offer both you and your clients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-465290ea-10d2-4c19-9929-11661b65351e\" class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\"><span id=\"hs-cta-465290ea-10d2-4c19-9929-11661b65351e\" class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-465290ea-10d2-4c19-9929-11661b65351e\"><!-- [if lte IE 8]>\n\n\n<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\n\n<![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/6092775\/465290ea-10d2-4c19-9929-11661b65351e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"hs-cta-img-465290ea-10d2-4c19-9929-11661b65351e\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/6092775\/465290ea-10d2-4c19-9929-11661b65351e.png\" alt=\"New call-to-action\" width=\"750\" height=\"119\" \/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(6092775, '465290ea-10d2-4c19-9929-11661b65351e', {\"useNewLoader\":\"true\",\"region\":\"na1\"}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Cost for Practices and Clients<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aside from being daunting, <\/span><b>many veterinary practitioners are also put off by the cost<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of implementing the technology needed in order to offer telemedicine services. This includes initial set up costs and purchasing the right devices. <\/span><b>You also need to encourage certain clients to purchase new technology<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> so that they are able to connect remotely.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, although there is a degree of cost involved at the start, once your telemedicine services are up and running, <\/span><b>remote visits are typically less expensive than physical clinic visits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Plus, clients save on travel expenses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Introducing Telemedicine Processes Takes Times<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another challenge of telemedicine is that<\/span><b> it takes time to adapt <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to new ways of working. You need to create new policies and procedures, adapt your workflows, and train both staff and clients so that they are able to engage with the technology.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In reality, although it may take some time to adapt to new systems and processes, in the long run, <\/span><b>relying on telemedicine for certain visits will actually save you time<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Telemedicine can streamline many of your services so that your practice runs more smoothly. Your patients are able to access care much quicker than if they had to wait for a scheduled physical appointment. And with improved access to care, your clients will feel more connected and more valued, <\/span><b>cementing their trust and loyalty<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Regulatory Challenges of Telemedicine<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although telemedicine has been around for some time in human healthcare, it is still a relatively new concept in the veterinary industry. This means that <\/span><b>regulations are still catching up<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, especially when it comes to remote prescribing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, in the U.S., requisites concerning telemedicine are often codified in state regulations, which vary by jurisdiction. Some states, such as Arizona, California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania, relaxed veterinary-client-patient-relationship requirements to allow remote prescribing during the pandemic. In the UK, remote prescribing was also permitted during the pandemic. The Standards Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) has since decided that the temporary dispensation allowing remote prescribing of prescription-only veterinary medicines no longer applies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is perhaps the biggest challenge of telemedicine right now.<\/span><b> Until regulations adapt to the growing demand for remote consultations, veterinary services will not be able to take full advantage of all the benefits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that telemedicine has to offer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-21d94b4e-fece-4bb5-ac0a-dcecfc9ba560\" class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\"><span id=\"hs-cta-21d94b4e-fece-4bb5-ac0a-dcecfc9ba560\" class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-21d94b4e-fece-4bb5-ac0a-dcecfc9ba560\"><!-- [if lte IE 8]>\n\n\n<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\n\n<![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/6092775\/21d94b4e-fece-4bb5-ac0a-dcecfc9ba560\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"hs-cta-img-21d94b4e-fece-4bb5-ac0a-dcecfc9ba560\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/6092775\/21d94b4e-fece-4bb5-ac0a-dcecfc9ba560.png\" alt=\"New call-to-action\" width=\"750\" height=\"393\" \/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(6092775, '21d94b4e-fece-4bb5-ac0a-dcecfc9ba560', {\"useNewLoader\":\"true\",\"region\":\"na1\"}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Telemedicine has been a hot topic for a while now, especially since the start of the pandemic when lockdowns forced veterinary practices all over the world to reassess how they were going to continue offering healthcare to their patients with all the restrictions that were in force. There are a number of benefits to offering [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":59239,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[435],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dinbeat-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59238"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60437,"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59238\/revisions\/60437"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dinbeat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}