Friendship Hospital for Animals

Mathieu Glassman

We are living in a time when technological advancement has facilitated new ways for industry professionals to connect with the consumer and share information on a larger scale and at a faster rate than ever thought possible. The result of these technological advancements are the provision of services and information with greater flexibility, efficiency and lower costs. The human medical field is one industry that has significantly benefited from technological advancement. From pacemakers to prosthetic limbs to on demand medical services to rapid data sharing, countless lives have been impacted by technological advancement in the medical industry.

The boon is not just limited to human medicine however, as technology has been put to good use in veterinary medicine as well. Today, the veterinary industry largely relies on technology and technological advancement to provide more efficient, advanced, timely and affordable care for animals. Methods such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), ultrasound scans, and laparoscopy are not limited to humans these days as veterinary professionals use these modalities for the treatment of animals. Despite significant advancement recently, technological innovation has faced some specific challenges in the veterinary space, resulting in slower implementation of newer technologies or impeded go-to-market strategies.

What Are Some Of The Major Challenges That Have Been Impacting The Veterinary Space Lately?

Many of the contemporary technological advancements in veterinary medicine have been centered around the digitization, integration, and dissemination of medical records. Given the multiple practice management platforms in the industry (and lack of a clear leader), developing technology that is able to communicate between platforms with enough bandwidth to be comprehensive (and therefore effective) is difficult. In addition to V2V (Veterinarian to Veterinarian) communication, communication between veterinarian and clients (V2C) is an area of significant importance, however is slow to develop. In today’s world of on-demand services and ubiquitous social media, there is an expectation among clients for similar communication devices in the veterinary industry. Platforms to find providers, make appointments, and take advantage of price transparency are lacking. There is a demand for on-line delivery of veterinary care (Telemedicine) that has not been realized. Veterinary telemedicine carries an additional challenge when compared to human telemedicine in that patients cannot speak, and a physical client patient relationship is needed for medications to be prescribed legally.

Other challenges that have affected the space recently is the corporatization of veterinary medicine, as well as the emergence of insurance for pets. Both of which have the potential for tremendous opportunity and benefit, but also the possibility to adversely affect the industry if not properly managed and guided.

What Keeps You Up At Night When It Comes To Some Of The Major Predicaments In The Veterinary Space?

Honestly, love my industry, so not many things keep me up at night about it. The most significant predicament that exists in veterinary medicine however, is the disconnect between the people (business and technology professionals) that know how to effectively implement contemporary connected strategies and technologies, and people with thorough knowledge of the veterinary market (veterinarians and practice managers.) This is a significant concern due to the potential for business professionals to waste significant capital resources attempting to implement strategies that are fundamentally flawed due to incorrect assumptions regarding the translation of human strategies and platforms to veterinary medicine. 

Additionally, the misguided adoption strategies of technology and business professionals, unfamiliar with the veterinary market, is another barrier for technological advancement. Understanding of fears, motivations, and values of the veterinary professional is crucial in attempting to gain market share (even once an effective strategy has been developed). Conversely, an equally significant concern is the potential for veterinarians with exceptional ideas to have flawed or poorly executed business strategies without appropriate business mentorship. The result of this type of scenario is a great idea that is unable to be realized.

Can You Tell Us About The Latest Project That You Have Been Working On, And What Are Some Of The Technological And Process Elements That You Leveraged To Make The Project Successful?

The disconnect between business and veterinary professionals in an area that I truly enjoy consulting in. Recently, we have been involved with providing guidance to companies looking to enter the veterinary space. These include a company with an crowd orchestration (Uber-like) business model and an online veterinary service marketing platform. In both of these instances, we have helped to formulate strategies to improve acceptance in the veterinary market and advise the creative team regarding the feasibility of various initiatives that they were hoping to implement.

Which Are Some Of The Technological Trends Which Excite You For The Future Of The Veterinary Space?

The Veterinary space is undergoing a profound technological change, and there are a number of trends to look at. To begin with, Telemedicine-like platforms such as Teletails and Petlocity that allow veterinarians to communicate with their client’s in-between visits is the most important as it brings transparency in the entire treatment journey. The second trend is the emergence of internal communication tools such as Google Hangouts, file sharing tools (VitusVet and RVetLink), teleradiology (Petrays and Idexx), and other technology that has allowed us to provide better services, faster and safer. Also, technological services that enable clients to become more bonded and informed about the hospital, such as Upshow have been an exciting addition. Upshow is a digital marketing platform that is displayed in waiting rooms through which owners can post images of their pets through Instagram via a unique hashtag. Information dissemination to owners (V2C) is greatly facilitated by non-veterinary specific applications such as Bublup. Bublup is a revolutionary file and life sharing platform that allows veterinarians (or anyone for that matter) the ability to store websites, PDFs, images, videos, or whatever needs to be shared in one place. All of these can be shared in seconds with anyone through email or through a shared Bublup folder or through email. Last but not least, tools such as VetCare Consult allow veterinarians the ability to describe disease processes and procedures in a 3D digital format in the examination room in seconds (in comparison to the traditional technique of drawing on a blank sheet of paper). These short videos and images can then be quickly attached to an email and provided to an owner for review later or to share with loved ones that were unable to attend the veterinary appointment.