VPN Plus+ ExclusiveAI in the practice—what does the future hold?October 14, 2023Today, the breadth of narrow AI is expanding vastly through a variety of applications that could impact veterinary practice. Even before veterinary patients arrive at the clinic, patient triage and appointment booking could be facilitated through smart scheduling systems. Such systems could learn to anticipate and factor individual preferences into scheduling, such as client and clinician communications styles, skill sets and task preferences.
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VPN Plus+ ExclusiveExpanded interview with AVMA president Rena Carlson, DVMSeptember 28, 2023We caught up Rena Carlson, DVM, with the association’s new president at the AVMA Convention in Denver, Colo., in July to learn more about her leadership style, the changing landscape of the veterinary industry, and AVMA’s current key areas of focus.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveChatGPT's role in veterinary practiceSeptember 7, 2023As you become more adept at leveraging ChatGPT for content creation, the opportunity arises to train it to comprehend your specific objectives. Incorporating ChatGPT into your veterinary practice’s toolkit can revolutionize how you engage with clients, streamline operations, and establish your practice as a hub of expertise. While ChatGPT is a potent ally, exercising vigilance and creativity will empower you to harness its full potential.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveHow to determine an orthopedic or a neurologic cause of dysfunctionAugust 31, 2023Through text, photos, and videos, Susan A. Arnold, DVM, DACVIM (Neurology), aids the general practitioner in determining if a patient is experiencing an orthopedic or a neurologic cause of dysfunction. Specifically, there are notable orthopedic conditions that may be considered “neurologic imposters.” However, these orthopedic conditions lack key deficits consistent with neurologic dysfunction. These “neurologic imposters” are addressed below to aid the clinician in the evaluation of patients that are presented for gait dysfunction.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveThe benefits of cloud-based monitoring storage for patients and practicesAugust 25, 2023Benefits of cloud-based monitoring storage extend beyond surgical procedures to long-term quality of care. How a patient’s data is recorded has far-reaching implications for the patient’s individual health history and safety – along with influence on workload and clinic operations, data security, and even veterinarian protection from liabilities.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveThe importance of veterinary social workAugust 3, 2023Veterinary social work addresses human needs where veterinary medicine and social work meet. For decades, social workers have worked with needs in pet loss, animal-assisted therapy, companion animals and well-being, the importance of pets to the elderly, the link between interpersonal violence and animal abuse, social work implications of animal hoarding, and in veterinary hospital settings.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveEnd of Life e-book -- VPN Plus+ exclusiveJuly 27, 2023VPN Plus+ is pleased to present our members with the following complimentary End of Life e-book dedicated to offering a focused look at this very challenging time for both staff and clients. It also includes a webinar broadcast and an infographic for clients.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveThe ABCs behind the challenges of TPLOJuly 19, 2023Ask any small animal veterinarians what they consider the "gold standard" approach for cranial cruciate ligament disease in dogs, and you will most likely hear, the "TPLO."1-7 From veterinary school forward, we hear from surgeons that the tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) delivers a more rapid recovery and return to normal function, even when compared to other surgical techniques such as the tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) and the triple tibial osteotomy (TTO).8 In contrast to other procedures, the TPLO supposedly causes fewer complications, less meniscal injury, and slower progression of osteoarthritis. For those who are unfamiliar with this procedure and its history, the TPLO is a traumatic procedure, involving severing the tibia, changing the angle of the tibial plateau, and then plating the two parts of the tibia back together. By altering the dog's anatomy, the veterinarian hopes to stop the proximal tibia from thrusting forward during weightbearing and locomotion for canine patients whose cranial cruciate ligament has failed.9 Proponents claim this "restores normal limb function," but this is an impossible claim to defend.10 Altering structural conformation does not and cannot restore "normal" function for that dog, breed, or species. Moreover, one year after …
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveCreative ways to schedule your teamsJuly 14, 2023One more consideration could be a game changer when looking at the team, efficiencies, and effectiveness when it comes to staffing: creative scheduling. Effective scheduling and staffing don’t have to be rigid. Rigidity in staffing is a cultural norm within veterinary medicine that we have all come to adopt as gospel. As managers and owners, we can step “outside of the box” we have built for ourselves and approach hiring, job descriptions, and scheduling creatively to meet the needs of both the practice and team members.
VPN Plus+ ExclusiveFirst National Pet Choking Prevention Day announcedJune 19, 2023The National Pet Choking Prevention Day campaign’s focus is to spread education to veterinarian professionals and pet owners about the everyday pet choking hazards around the home, the shocking statistics of how common (and avoidable) pet choking is, and the simple, yet important, ways we can come together to help eliminate these risks for beloved pets.