More patient time and less paperwork

It seems like you can’t go a single day without hearing about AI. Artificial intelligence poses a lot of possibilities and a lot of pitfalls for veterinary practice. Optimising how your team is using it and offering tools tailored for their jobs can turn AI use from a risk to a growth opportunity.

But, you might be thinking, my veterinary staff isn’t using AI for work. Are you sure? The British Veterinary Association found 21 percent of veterinarians are using artificial intelligence applications in clinical practice. An additional 18 percent plan to start in the future. And that survey did not capture front of house staff or veterinary nurses, who likely are also experimenting with AI tools.

At first glance, it may seem like AI is delivering real value. But, you aware of what tools your team is using? Are they entering protected patient data into a general use app?  Within the clinic, using general purpose or free AI tools leaves your business’ and your clients’ data at risk. There might not be safeguards around how that data is used, leaving you vulnerable to running afoul of the GDPR, the Data Protection Act, and other legislation.

A cautionary tale

Beyond unsanctioned use of AI in the clinic, pet owners are turning more and more to Dr. ChatGPT like they used to turn to Dr. Google. 

Consider the repercussions of using general purpose AI tools, as laid out by the team in the report BVA Policy Position on Artificial Intelligence in the Veterinary Profession. Veterinary practices must acknowledge their clients are seeking answers from general AI apps before making an appointment. If the info they find there is misleading, it can potentially harm their pets. What if they postpone or even decline to bring in their cat  or dog because of what the AI says? Or the AI could offer tips for home remedies that are not clinically appropriate and could make the problem worse.

The goals of providing better patient care and saving overwhelmed staff time are correct. The current ways of getting there might not be the most secure.

The president of the British Veterinary Association, Dr. Rob Williams MRCVS, has said, “Having a positive and open-minded approach that views AI as a tool to support vets and the wider vet team is the best way forward to make sure that the profession is confident applying these technologies in their day-to-day work.”

Tailored for you

Fortunately, Merlin’s new integration with CoVet is a fit-for-purpose AI tool for veterinary practices that mitigates the risks associated with general use tools. Its enterprise grade security and end-to-end encryption keeps clinic and customer data secure, meeting the industry’s most rigorous standards. 

Once the platform is set up, appointments from Merlin are synchronised with CoVet. These appear as cases the clinician can interact with. Veterinarians can use Covet to record the appointment, talking through each step of the pet’s examination. After the client leaves the room, clinicians can continue speaking to capture additional observations, with CoVet automatically generating to‑do lists from the recording. As an AI scribe, CoVet transcribes consults, drafts SOAP notes, summarises medical histories for future visits, and offers a secure AI chat to discuss cases and best practices. It works seamlessly with a mobile phone or computer microphone and also supports uploaded audio files from external recording devices. 

Enhancing clinical presence

All these features sound good, you might think. But what will it do for my veterinary team? 

The new CoVet integration with Merlin gives practices time to focus on patients, not paperwork. Its summaries of lengthy medical histories reduce the time needed to read and analyze detailed patient records. An interactive chat feature helps veterinary staff call up specific case details in a snap.  

The integration also allows a direct export of SOAP notes from CoVet straight into the patient’s notes within Merlin.

The CoVet AI scribe saves veterinarians up to two hours per day by automating medical records and administrative tasks . Just consider the pet and pet-owner facing activities that could be done with two hours back in the workday. Caring for pets is why your team got into the animal health business in the first place, not reading charts and taking notes.

AI can assist veterinarians and veterinary nurses in preparing better for consults. CoVet is a partner to discuss best practices for treatments. It’s a valuable option for single-doctor practices, who don’t have a peer to bounce ideas off with novel or complicated cases.

The tool supports front office staff, too. They can open cases, add inputs, and generate outputs. The aim is to ease some of their daily workload, and lower stress. Admin staff have a lot on their plates. By embracing this technology, they can relieve some of those repeatable to-dos and put their energy towards client communications and client care.

Best of all, because CoVet is embedded into Merlin, there is a lower barrier to entry to incorporating AI into your veterinary clinic. Both admin and clinical staff are already in Merlin all day, so there is not a separate system to learn.

It’s evident that your veterinary team might already be experimenting with AI to make their jobs easier. It’s your imperative to make sure they are doing so in a way that is sustainable and secure.