One of the greatest takeaways from 2020 is the societal transition to digital, contactless forms. COVID may be the reason some veterinarians offices began to digitize their records, but convenience and profitability will be the reasons that this technology is here to stay.

Once offices kick off with SnoutID, operations streamline and time typically wasted toiling with form updates is saved. We gather that the traditional average check in process gobbles up 35 minutes in check-in procedures alone. Upon arrival, the front desk presents the client with necessary forms, the client spends 10 to 15 minutes on this in the waiting room, then the papers are brought back to the front desk to be scanned, uploaded and then attached to the appropriate chart. Not to mention, the front desk often spends additional time calling past veterinary offices for records. Eliminating this margin of wasted time results in the capacity to see and treat more pets in the exact same time frame. 

Here are the four best ways you can save precious time and ensure an appointment runs smoothly:

1. Updated Client and Patient Info

When booking the appointment, make sure your staff is collecting a phone number and an email address at a minimum. Keeping this information up to date is key to reducing no-shows and keeping things running on time.

With this information on hand, and using a digital form system like SnoutID, you can have clients pre-fill necessary forms and shorten appointments. Clients can begin registering their pet’s information conveniently from their mobile device. Birthdate, gender, breed, spay/neuter status, weight, microchip status, insurance, owner information, and even patient history can all be entered in a simple, easy-to-navigate form PRIOR to patient arrival.

SnoutID will look at the appointment type and automatically send out the necessary forms. You may also consider tools like Jotform and Google Forms but note that this will require your staff to send the forms out and follow up with clients.

This will save you from making clients sit in the waiting room while your staff has to administer forms, scan and upload paperwork, and manually enter data into your practice management system. There are many benefits for new and existing clients alike. Contact info such as phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses are constantly changing. You’ll want to stay ahead of this and practice good data hygiene!

2. Updated Patient History

Gather patient records from previous veterinarians prior to the visit. This eliminates the need to question an owner in the office, and ensures you will know exactly what the status of the pet is with verified records.

Either train your staff to call ahead of time or leverage the team at SnoutID. SnoutID’s team of trained veterinary technicians gather previous vaccine records and will follow up to ensure they make it in time for the appointment. The records are standardized, making it easy to determine which vaccines a pet may be overdue or current on. Vaccinations are marked to denote if they are up-to-date, coming due within a month, overdue, or not found. This way, the veterinary team can glance at the form, see that all items are current, and get the appointment underway with no barriers!

Another added bonus, centralizing vaccine and lab histories prevents over or under treatment, keeping pets healthy and the practice running efficiently. Skip out on reading countless pages of a pet’s history by checking the summary on SnoutID that displays current and past prescriptions, allergies, diagnoses, and lab work.  This allows for rapid identification of necessary preventives and procedures needed before the appointment has even gotten underway.

3. Medical Record Retrieval

With the capacity to access aggregated records from any veterinary practice in North America, your practice will suddenly feel like it grew to span east coast to west coast. Patients and pets move around, travel, and life happens outside of their designated home veterinary office. Having the ability to see a comprehensive summary of records OUTSIDE of your office gives an advantage to offer all-encompassing treatment without having to fill in the blanks for what care a pet received elsewhere. 

Consider this feature to feel similar to hiring millions of vet-techs and veterinary specialists, without having to cover their salaries! When available, contact information and notes from the past visits will be displayed in the pet’s chart for quick review prior to treatment, so you can hit the ground running once the pet is in the treatment room.

4. Set Expectations on Payments

Collecting payment is the most painful part of an appointment. Clients can make a scene when costs are higher than expected, putting you and your team in an awkward position. Explain options ahead of the visit and give clients estimates as early as possible to set expectations.

Make sure your clients know whether you accept card only, cash/check, CareCredit/Scratchpay, or how to use insurance. Also, make sure your staff is well-versed in the options offered. These conversations are the trickiest of all. SnoutID can help educate your clients on their options prior to their visit and will help you process all forms of payment within one system. Our team will help your staff stay up-to-date on payment options as well.

Gone are the days of shuffling through stacks of papers, calling around for record transfers, fumbling through appointments, and reacting to a pet’s needs once in treatment. By applying these four tips, you will immediately see the tangible time savings that translates into productivity for the practice and ultimately more happy, healthy pets! 

The SnoutID Solution

Focus on pets, and SnoutID will make sure you get paid. 

SnoutID is a software tool supported by a team of remote veterinary technicians that enables veterinary practices and hospitals to operate at their best. SnoutID integrates seamlessly into your workflow via your PIMS to automatically collect digital forms, signatures, and payment from your clients. Our team of technicians will help ensure all medical history from past veterinary practices are available prior to appointment.

We have a meet-or-beat guarantee meaning we promise you will definitely save time and money on transaction fees with our payment processing system. Contact us today to find out how much you can save by visiting our website snoutid.com or booking a demo using the link below.