Probably not a day goes by without AI, that is to say artificial intelligence, making headlines. We are learning a new skill that he can master better than you and me. Many of us don’t know whether to be impressed or frightened by its power, or both. Either way, it is here and will impact our lives in many ways. And the veterinary profession and the practice of veterinary medicine are by no means immune. Robert Cartin, DVM, president of Cartin Veterinary Consulting, aptly describes the impact as “breathtaking and limitless.”
I recently reached out to thought leaders in veterinary medicine, including Cartin, to find out what impact AI is having on the profession today and what the near future will look like. Hint: My conclusion, unsurprisingly, is that properly harnessing the power of AI will be a boon to the profession, leading to a hugely positive impact.
Futuristic? Not really, AI is here and is already having an impact on the daily life of veterinary practices. Here are some key examples of AI at work in today’s veterinary clinics.
Innovations in practice management
Greeting clients, scheduling, check-in and much more!
Some practice management software systems (PMS) and third-party applications can interact with clients to complete pre-visit paperwork and determine whether a wellness or medical visit is necessary. AI can then schedule the appointment and its duration based on the pet’s medical needs. Sebastian Gabor, CEO and founder of Digitail, whose PMS system is heavily focused on AI integration, highlighted the value of these automated steps which typically save a practice 5 minutes or more.
Additionally, customer information and history can then feed into the PMS system and begin building the patient’s medical record. And in the short term, as the physical exam is completed, taking into account age and race, AI can produce exclusions and probable diagnoses along with typical treatments, including medications and dosages for the problems identified. Treatment plans, client report cards, and client education materials on diagnoses and medications can be made available to the client in real time via printed mail, email, and text message.
Do you spend a lot of time on inventory control and ordering? AI quickly learns hospital inventory usage trends and can support and automate the ordering process.
Lack of staff at reception? AskVet’s Virtual Intake product is an AI-powered application that can answer clinic phones and customer questions and schedule a pet appointment. Cal Lai, CEO and president of AskVet, said he envisions this technology being able to support many of the front desk’s daily tasks.
Medical and diagnostic innovations
Microscopy
The impact of AI on microscopy analysis is already very tangible. The SediVue Dx Veterinary Urine Sediment Analyzer from Idexx Laboratories, Inc, has been on the market for almost 7 years. The unit automates the urinalysis reading process and delivers internal results at the point of care in just minutes.
Zoetis is another company that uses AI to achieve fast and accurate in-house microscopy results. Its virtual lab reader, Vetscan Imagyst, provides AI readings of blood smears as well as fecal analysis and digital cytology (ear, skin, other), with many results available to the team and clients within minutes. Richard Goldstein, DVM, vice president and chief medical officer of global diagnostics at Zoetis, said this type of AI technology is a game-changer for veterinary practices. He not only touted the team’s time savings, but also emphasized that as technology advances, its accuracy will be unprecedented. As he put it: “AI doesn’t have good days, bad days, long days, and doesn’t care if it’s the weekend. It consistently delivers the results it was trained to deliver.
Imaging
Applying AI to radiographic interpretation is a natural solution, and tremendous progress has been made in human and animal medicine. SignalPet is an example of a company in the veterinary field that offers a scanning service that examines a digital x-ray and provides an initial interpretation of the imaging, with a turnaround time of just minutes and at a price significantly lower than of a complete service. the radiologist read. Vetology is a second company that offers AI x-ray services as well as traditional veterinary x-ray services.
The demand for radiographic interpretation often exceeds the availability of the veterinary radiologist to provide a timely report. Another concern is that the cost of interpretation may be too high for clients. One of the advantages of AI-generated interpretation is that it is fast and cost-effective. A few caveats here: AI does not have the expertise of a radiologist, is only as good as their training, and in some cases cannot account for the variables and exceptions that an experienced veterinary radiologist can. and certified can take into account.
Carefree. Radiologists will not be replaced, but they may be able to focus more on complex cases while standard or normal cases are handled using AI readings, alleviating some of the excess demand for radiologists.
Predictive Analytics
AI, through the use of algorithms, can analyze diagnostic results and also predict/predict probable diseases in a pet’s future. Kidney disease in cats and cancer in dogs are two main examples. Predictive analytics holds great promise for early disease detection, which will lead to improved treatment outcomes.
Using AI correctly for better results
AI is in front of us and in our “space”. Is it time to be proactive and embrace it?
Goldstein said he sees some hesitation at the clinical level. “Teams often have two concerns: One is that they are afraid of being replaced by AI,” he noted. “And the second issue is trusting the technology to provide reliable results and information.” Are these concerns valid? When it comes to replacing AI, at the veterinary clinic level, hospitals are severely understaffed. Therefore, if AI technology can help answer phones, schedule appointments, enter customer information, manage medical records, and read fecal samples as well as test results ear samples and skin cytology, etc., wouldn’t that save considerable time and stress? And when it comes to trusting AI-driven results and insights, with proper training, monitoring, and safeguards, AI can not only be trusted, but can also learn and improve over time.
Can the veterinary profession become comfortable with these concerns? Is AI just what the doctor ordered? It’s no secret that as a profession we are understaffed, underpaid, and often stressed and burned out, with many leaving the field every year. Leveraging AI can allow team members to focus on tasks that only humans can do, whether diagnosing, prescribing, performing surgery, or working directly with patients and clients, rather than performing tasks that technology can make easier for us.
The recipe above equates to a more efficient medical practice, which allows for more patient visits per day and better, faster service. More cases per day lead to a more profitable business, which can translate into better compensation for its team.
Putting AI to work fulfills the vision of working smarter, not harder. Used correctly, not blindly, AI can be a big win for a profession that needs help. Ultimately, if the mission is to provide the best medicines and customer service in an environment that is rewarding (good culture) and profitable (for everyone), then AI can help us get one step closer to that goal .