Veterinary professionals operate in an entirely new landscape compared to a few years ago, with clinics and teams facing immense pressure due to the increased demand for pet care services, tight labor markets, and practice models that no longer support the current volume of patients. Though these issues existed well before COVID, the pandemic threatened to push many practices to their breaking point.
While animal care leaders recognized this urgent need for new strategies, recent empirical research also revealed an industry transformation opportunity.1 The “Finding the Time: Empowering Veterinary Teams to Get the Most Out of Every Day” study, published in 2023, combined extensive practice management data analysis of more than 4.2 million clinical visits with a comprehensive survey for a representative group of 786 U.S. practices. The study was further augmented by in-person clinical workflow observations and in-depth profit and loss statement assessments.1
The analysis leverages comprehensive data to issue a positive call to action for transforming models for veterinary care. Veterinary professionals can now access the Practice Productivity Index, a data-driven framework, to help transform practice productivity across the critical dimensions of workflow, technology, and culture without sacrificing the quality of care.
It explores tangible steps to implement innovative practice productivity improvements while supporting the high standards for quality of care and sustainable work-life balance that must be hallmarks of future veterinary practice. Let’s take a closer look at the study methodology and key findings, including steps you can potentially apply in your practice.
Focusing on the right levers
Despite industry staffing shortages, many practices have employed ways to meet daily demands and challenges. The “Finding the Time” study quantified and defined the “productivity levers” that can help increase efficiency in veterinary practices and grouped them by workflow, technology, and culture.
- Workflow. With staffing being one of the most significant challenges practices face, workflow is a critical lever for improving practice productivity. While increasing the staff-to-DVM ratio and adopting strategic staffing models can increase efficiency, if practices cannot hire more staff, empowering certified veterinary technicians to take on more complex, higher-valued tasks is an option to help ease the workload and free up a veterinarian’s time. The credentials for technicians differ from state to state, but this solution can provide the care patients deserve while ensuring veterinary professionals have a more manageable workload.
- Technology. This is another significant productivity lever, as many clinics could better utilize their practice information management system (PIMS). While the study revealed 85 percent of respondents reported poor integration between their practice’s applications/platforms and PIMS, it also revealed streamlining electronic record-keeping, communication with pet owners, scheduling, and payments presents an excellent opportunity to reduce manual workload and create a more efficient workflow.1 Digitizing the patient’s journey with software and tools that seamlessly integrate can enhance the level of service provided to patients and clients while improving productivity.
- Work culture. Although this may appear to be a softer element to investigate, researchers wanted to explore the challenges practices face in recruiting and retaining team members. The study confirmed the correlation between a positive team dynamic/job satisfaction and productivity, highlighting continuous learning and development programs as crucial for promoting teamwork and cultivating a positive culture.1 In addition, having clear roles and responsibilities can help staff align on expectations and contribute to a more supportive team dynamic.1 This can be as simple as a quick morning huddle among team members.
The “Finding the Time” study also provides tools to support each of these categories, including practical guides tailored to small (one to two doctors) or medium/large (three or more doctors) practices based on their Practice Productivity Index score. With these tools, practices can take specific actions to increase their productivity, save clinical minutes, and potentially generate more revenue.
Know your ‘practice persona’
The key findings from the in-clinic observations and practice data analysis revealed three “practice personas” with distinct characteristics that position respondents from most to least productive. Segmented by practice size, the Practice Productivity Index plots respondents based on self-reported levers and clinical visit volume data.
The most efficient respondents embody the Well-Oiled Machine persona and have already implemented many critical attributes of highly effective practices. They are set up for success today but are continually seeking ways to improve. Meanwhile, those in the Chugging Along persona include clinics that are getting by with what they have but would like to implement more operational improvements. The Engine Light On persona represents the least efficient of the three, including practices that may constantly be trying to catch up and never feel like they have enough staff. Yet, these practices notably have the most significant opportunity to improve and can save the most time per clinical visit, on average eight or 15 minutes.
Together, the Practice Productivity Index and Practice Personas offer veterinary practices new tools for optimizing their operations and improving patient care, with a comprehensive framework for assessing productivity and identifying clear areas for improvement. By adopting a data-driven approach to practice management, the “Finding the Time: Empowering Veterinary Teams to Get the Most Out of Every Day” study highlights how veterinary professionals can unlock opportunities for growth, innovation, and success that may previously have felt out of reach. Whether it’s through improving patient care, investing in staff development, or finding new ways to balance work and personal life, there are countless ways these productivity gains can benefit both practices and the people who drive them.
Download the publication and self-assessment to gain insights into your own practice’s strengths and weaknesses, then use them to take practical steps toward streamlining workflows and freeing up valuable time for more patient-focused activities. The result could be improved outcomes, happier clients, and a healthier, more fulfilling work environment for your team.
Sherouk Fetaih, MBA, MSc, serves as vice president and head of Corporate Strategy and Advanced Analytics at IDEXX, with responsibilities spanning the enterprise strategic planning process, generating global and regional market analyses via global sector analytics, and competitive intelligence. Prior to joining IDEXX, Fetaih was an associate partner in management consulting, where she primarily advised clients on opportunities to transform and optimize their operations.
Jason Johnson, DVM, MS, DACT, is the vice president and global chief medical officer at IDEXX. Dr. Johnson was the co-founder/vice president and dean of the Lincoln Memorial University (LMU)-College of Veterinary Medicine, and founder of the Center for Animal and Human Health in Appalachia. Johnson has conducted international veterinary work across seven countries and believes it is a privilege and our responsibility to elevate animal health around the globe.
Reference
- Fetaih S, Johnson J. Finding the Time: Empowering Veterinary Teams to Get the Most Out of Every Day. IDEXX. Published February 2023. Accessed March 31, 2023. https://pages.idexx.com/practice-productivity_en-us